One Bronco Nation Under God

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2008-08-18T07:45:00.000-06:00

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WIR: 500 isn't old if you're a tree

2008-08-15T17:00:00.001-06:00

Week in Review (WIR) was happy to have another busy week of Bronco football, and with a scrimmage tomorrow night (6:00pm at Bronco Stadium, in case you hadn't heard), the good vibes will continue into the weekend.

Also, the good vibes will continue into Monday, when we reveal our big surprise. Is it an OBNUG video game? Are we joining forces with Murph's Turf? Is this site going public? Stay tuned and find out on Monday.

Here are the best stories from the past week:

Ryan Clady disappoints Woody Paige.
First BSU scrimmage in the books.
Nick Lomax in the QB derby?
Season previews for Utah State and Nevada.
Brian Murphy stirs debate.
Happy 500th post, us.
Practice going better than the scrimmages.
Patience for the QB race.
NFL preseason week two preview.
Dustin Lapray: grandiloquent.
What to watch for at scrimmage #2.
Boise State adds two to schedule.

See you at the scrimmage, Bronco fans.

QB battle: Moore vs. Hamdan: Day 12

2008-08-15T16:30:00.001-06:00

Vs.

Tomorrow night we get our second chance to see the quarterback competition for ourselves, but until then, we'll just have to rely on our trusted local media for guidance. Scary thought, huh.

Moore: the People's choice
Hamdan: the Media's choice

Advantage: Hamdan. The media does see practice, after all.

In the lead...Tie. It will make for a more interesting scrimmage this way.

2009 Boise State schedule tentatively finalized

2008-08-15T15:45:00.001-06:00

Boise State has released a tentative schedule for next season, and there is no opening week Division I-AA opponent to be found. Doesn't feel right, does it?

The final two pieces to the scheduling puzzle were a visit from UC Davis, alma mater of Coach Pete and a guaranteed 30-point victory, and a trip to Oklahoma to face the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Here is the non-conference schedule for the Broncos in 2009:

Sept. 5 vs. Oregon, Sept. 12 at Toledo, Sept. 19 vs. UC Davis, Sept. 26 vs. Miami (Ohio) and Oct. 3 at Tulsa.

For those of you counting on your fingers at home, yes that is five straight weeks of football during a time of season when teams usually take a week or two off. Despite playing in consecutive weeks, the schedule is easy enough for the Broncos to sail through undefeated, especially with the experienced team expected to return next fall. Is it too soon to be looking ahead to next season already? Yes. It is.

Broncos announce 2009 schedule [BroncoSports.com]

User's guide for watching BSU's second scrimmage

2008-08-15T15:15:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow night's scrimmage will be the last opportunity for Bronco fans to see the team on the field before the Idaho State game in two weeks. And if we've learned anything from weekend and evening scrimmages, the we also know that it will be an opportunity for casual fans to hang out, be confused, talk about other things, and distract us.

We would like to change that. There are far too many important matters to be decided and nitpicked in tomorrow night's scrimmage, and we want our full attention to be on the field, not explaining how down and distance works.

Therefore, we've compiled the following user's guide for Boise State's second fall scrimmage tomorrow night (6:00pm at Bronco Stadium). Print it out if you need it, or bring it along to hand out to the people around you.

Kellen Moore is the short, left-handed one.
Yes, the giant skyboxes and luxury suites are new.
Don't boo if someone forces a turnover. That's a good thing.
Ian Johnson will not play every down. This does not mean he is hurt.
Jeremy Childs was suspended for academic reasons, not burglary, larceny, underage drinking, dogfighting, grand theft auto, or being too cool for school.
Please stop asking us where Marty Tadman is.
Do not, under any circumstances, start the wave.
There may not be a whole lot of scoring. If this is an issue, we believe Pineapple Express is playing at Edwards at 6:30.
Sure, that pink Kyle Wilson jersey looks good on you.

[UPDATE] Camp notes: good-bye East Jr. High, hello interceptions

2008-08-15T14:00:00.001-06:00

Update 2:45pm: LaDustin files his report from morning practice. "Dear diary, I saw a fox today..."

The Broncos celebrated their final practice at East Junior High this morning with interceptions and popsicles. The IPT's Dave Southorn has the details.

At the end of the early practice, the offense had to run gassers after the defense held the upper hand most of the morning. Raphiel Lambert intercepted Bush Hamdan, while Travis Stanaway picked off Nick Lomax. Hey, at least everyone got popsicles afterward. Really!

Stanaway was mentioned as one of the standout newcomers who might see playing time this fall, and Lambert was a sensational high school running back who seems to be making a rather smooth transition to the defensive backfield. Coach Pete's bullhorn appreciated their effort.

The Broncos will have one more practice this evening before hitting the field tomorrow night for the team's second scrimmage of the fall. The scrimmage will be tomorrow night at 6:00pm, rather than 7:00pm time that had been previously reported. At least, that's what Judy from the Boise State athletics office told us.

We'll update this post as more reports from practice are filed. We are such freeloaders.

Broncos land 11th recruit, find Arizona enticing

2008-08-15T13:15:00.001-06:00

The Broncos have landed their eleventh early commitment of the summer, DE Kharyee Marshall from Washington High School (Arizona). Expect the Statesman to confirm this recruit in late September.

The 6'2", 215-pound Marshall recorded 106 tackles and 16 sacks last year from his defensive end position. Ryan Winterswyk and Mike T. Williams nod in approval.

Kharyee Marshall profile [Scout.com]
This one goes to eleven [Fight Fight BSU]

An open letter to Dustin Lapray

2008-08-15T12:15:00.001-06:00

Dear Dustin Lapray,

As diehard Boise State fans and admirers of excessively wordy reporting, let us be the first to say thank you for your informative, expressive, and detailed reports from Boise State football practice. What's that? We're not the first to say thank you? The guys at Bronco Country have already erected a paper mache statue to you in the end zone at East Junior High? Our mistake.

In that case, congraulations on winning over the Bronco Nation fan base in such a short amount of time. By our account, David Augusto is still trying. You have managed to fill a niche that was desperately void up until you and your thesaurus (and your bandana!) came traipsing into town.

RE: the thesaurus, we find it fascinating the words that you have used to describe the Broncos' practices, but we are loathe to admit that we may not know the meanings of some of them. Are the following definitions correct?

Bellow: the sound John Gott makes when he bends over
Inglorious: a euphemism for the Idaho State game
Emulate: we believe you meant to write "Are you late"
Azure: an adjective used to describe the quarterback situation
Collusion: a Kyle Brotzman tackle attempt

Any help on these definitions would be much appreciated.

Your writing style is certainly unique to the Treasure Valley sports journalism scene, which is probably why you have been met with so much success in these first few weeks. You write as if the fate of the world depended on your ability to fit as many complex sentences into a single paragraph as possible. Seriously, a 40-word sentence? You are all man, Mr. Lapray.

For sure, the Twin Falls Magic Valley Times News must be thrilled to have you on staff. Who wouldn't love a person who can put the following inside joke about graduation orchestral arrangements into a sentence about Doug Martin and DJ Harper?

Neither has the grace of Ian Johnson, but they both got pop, and circumstance to spell the All-American.

LaDustin, you slay us!

We now must wonder whatever will you do for an encore. Your practice prose has been remarkably outstanding, so we are anxious to see what you will do during the football season. Will we be treated to an extemporaneous essay on the virtues of the "Q" offense? Will you write a play based loosely on the Oregon game? Your audience waits on pins and needles and quick-reference dictionaries.

Keep up the good work, DL.

Bellow.

Sincerely,
OBNUG

Ps. Please stop with the vague injury updates (ex. Jeron Johnson may or may not have hurt his foot). We'd hate to have BSU campus security forcibly remove you from practice.

Half-hearted NFL football week two

2008-08-15T09:30:00.002-06:00

Week two of the NFL preseason is here. Time for the starters to put in a full quarter-and-a-half of work!

Former Boise State player Kimo von Oelhoffen did not make it out of week one, getting cut by the Philadelphia Eagles for having old knees. Who's going to tell stories about the 1970's at team dinner? Andy Reid made a big mistake.

Here are the best Bronco-related games of the weekend:

Tonight:

Oakland at Tennessee, 6:00pm, FOX
Chris Carr seeks revenge against his old team by returning the opening kickoff, playing a few downs on defense, and taking a nap on the bench for the third and fourth quarters.

Saturday:

Dallas at Denver, 7:00pm
Orlando Scandrick was impressive in his Cowboys' debut. Ryan Clady was not in his first start for Denver. Needless to say that Woody Paige will be watching with bated breath.

Green Bay at San Francisco, 7:00pm
Korey Hall and Daryn Colledge continue their futile quest to boost Aaron Rodgers' confidence and make him feel like the team is much better off with him rather than Brett Favre.

Chicago at Seattle, 7:00pm
Seahawks TE Jeb Putzier is battling for playing time at tight end. Fortunately, the good Bears linebackers will be on the field far less than the bad Bears linebackers.

Morning paper: Boise State football links 8/15

2008-08-15T07:30:00.002-06:00

The Broncos had an afternoon/evening practice last night, and Dustin Lapray has some details on what went down. Specifically, he points out that Travis Stanaway and Daron Mackey are two newcomers who are getting Coach Pete's attention and that Bush Hamdan should win the starting quarterback job. Sigh. We thought you were different, Dustin.

Here is some more reading material for your day.

Camp notes from the IPT [Press-Tribune]
Two sentences is better than no sentences.

Coach Pete immortalized in Twin Falls newspaper [Times-News]
We would run through a brick wall for him, and we don't even know him.

Tickets still available for home games [Dave's Blog]
The LaTech is not all that popular. Imagine that.

Reggie Larry to start career in Cyprus [KTVB.com]
Good luck in South America...or Europe..or wherever Cyprus is.

Cal Poly could possibly join the WAC [KVNU]
They would immediately be the seventh-best team.

Nick Saban named most powerful coach in sports [Forbes]
USU's Brent Guy named weakest?

Season tickets arrive [Fight Fight BSU]
No wonder the line was so long at Dairy Queen last night. Celebrate!

Odds of winning at Oregon [What If Sports]
Computers say Broncos have 41% chance. Kellen Moore's left arm says otherwise.

Aaron Tevis playing time update [Statesman]
May get to rush the passer in special packages. Fine by us.

Linebackers in focus [Statesman]
Broncos focus on finishing [Press-Tribune]
Chris Carr turning heads in Tennessee [Tennessean]

QB battle: Moore vs. Hamdan: Day 11

2008-08-14T16:00:00.000-06:00

Vs.

Coach Pete spoke about the quarterback race yesterday, but not in the way that anyone had hoped.

Petersen said he didn’t learn anything new about the quarterbacks competing for the starting job, senior Bush Hamdan and freshman Kellen Moore. They continue to split time with the first team.

As much as we want to know who the starter will be, we know that the Bronco coaching staff is doing the right thing by waiting as long as it takes to make sure they pick the right guy. In the meantime, we can keep getting our hopes up that maybe we'll have an answer soon. Like tomorrow?

Offensive coordinator Brian Harsin said the race was similar to last season with both quarterbacks basically in a dead heat, including a so-so first scrimmage. Like last season, the competition will continue for another week at least.

Bummer.

Moore: taught Coach Pete nothing in the first scrimmage
Hamdan: also taught Coach Pete nothing in the first scrimmage

Advantage: Rosetta Stone.

In the lead...Moore. Day 11 of the quarterback competition just happens to match his jersey number. Serendipity?

Nevada preview: hurry before the window closes

2008-08-14T14:00:00.000-06:00

Previewing the WAC seems like a good job for an intern. Unfortunately, we do not have an intern. Ugh. Previously: Utah State, Fresno State, Hawaii, SJSU, LaTech. Today: Nevada.

Nevada

Team motto: Reno is for winners

The WAC is typically a three-team conference, which is kind of sad considering that nine teams actually play there. In years past, any number of different WAC schools not including the University of Idaho have jumped into the big three alongside the traditional favorites of Boise State and Fresno State.

Might it be Nevada's turn again? Well, it certainly isn't anybody else's!

The Wolf Pack have the look of a stereotypically successful WAC team: high-scoring offense, afterthought defense, and a coach with a name people recognize although they're not sure why. And their performance last season gives the program hope that maybe this year will be the year they win the WAC outright. Aren't they cute when they're unrealistic?

With Colin Kaepernick at quarterback, Luke Lippincott at running back, and the Pistol offense playing the role of crazy Uncle Eddie, this team has all the right ingredients for an entertaining and possibly fruitful season. Just keep Uncle Eddie away from the light bulbs.

Five questions

Luke Lippincott isn't really better than Ian Johnson...is he?
My heart says no, but my 2007 statistical almanac says yes. According to last season's numbers, Lippincott is the WAC's most mathematically excellent back, by way of his conference-best 1420 yards. Johnson still holds the edge in touchdowns, undefeated seasons, and knit beanies, but the emergence of backs like Lippincott are what has the media buzzing about the WAC's new running focus.

Quick! Name one player on the Nevada defense!
Um...er...(stammering)...uhhh...(flipping through Phil Steele's college preview magazine)...

What scares you the most about the Nevada offense?
Plenty of things scare us about the Nevada offense, but perhaps the scariest part of their attack is its insane unevenness. Check out how many points they scored in some of their games last year:

vs. Nebraska, 10
vs. UNLV, 20
vs. Fresno State, 41
vs. Boise State, 67
vs. Hawaii, 26
vs. San Jose State, 24
vs. LaTech, 49
vs. New Mexico, 0

The possibility for the Nevada offense to put up a 50-spot on an opposing team is very real. The possibility for them to chunk their way to 20 points is also an option. And you never know which team will show up. Some teams might gameplan to try to stop Kaepernick or Lippincott or WR Marko Mitchell, but they'd be better off prank calling their hotel rooms the night before the game.

If Colin Kaepernick could be any type of weather, what would he be?
Kaepernick is a free spirit who does not like being tied down to expectations or consistency or the pocket. He would be a cloud, roaming free through the beautiful blue sky without a worry in the world. "Why hello, Mr. Sunshine," Kaepernick might say. "Do you mind if I overthrow you on an out route? You don't? Oh happy day!" Clouds don't have to read defenses or put balls on the numbers; they can go wherever they want, whenever they want. And Chris Ault can't do anything about it.

Give me one reason to think that Nevada is not the same old Nevada as always.
The law of averages and this:

Over/unders

+/- 2:1 ratio of pass attempts to rushes for Kaepernick
+/- 69 points Boise State scores against Nevada this season
+/- 0 times the Wolf Pack elect to kick when they win the toss

Nevada could cause a lot of problems for teams this season...teams like Grambling State, Utah State, and Idaho. The rest of their schedule? It's anybody's guess. New Mexico shut out the Wolf Pack in the teams' bowl game last year, and in so doing, the Lobos gave everyone a blueprint on how to slow the Nevada offense. (Tip: the quarterback can't throw.)

No matter how well the WAC schedule plays out for Nevada, their non-conference slate may cost them any chance of BCS talk. They play Texas Tech and Missouri in back-to-back weeks, and chances are good that they won't be able to knock off both Big XII powerhouses. Too bad Baylor was busy.

They do have enough talent to be a solid WAC team, though. On any given day, they can outscore their opponent, and if they find some consistency with the offense and some teeth for the defense, they will be in fine shape. Their visit to Fresno in early November should define their season. If they can get past the Bulldogs, then they can start thinking WAC title...that is, until they play Boise State two weeks later.

Perfect situation

Nevada beats one of the BCS teams on the non-conference schedule, Kaepernick completes more than 50 percent of his passes, Wolf Pack cruises undefeated through the WAC, Lippincott becomes Heisman candidate, Ault and the Pistol offense ride off intot the sunset to live happily ever after

Reality

The Wolf Pack get swept by the BCS teams on their non-conference schedule, Kaepernick turns the Pistol offense into the Wing-T, Nevada cruises through the WAC until Boise State, settles for a Hawaii Bowl appearance

Final record: 8-4 overall, 6-2 conference

Feeling the burn: USC gets the itch

2008-08-14T12:31:00.001-06:00

Not the headline you want to see. More puns to follow.

USC dealing with jock itch breakout [FOX Sports]

Clady strong, Scandrick fast in Madden 09

2008-08-14T09:05:00.000-06:00

The latest version of Madden was released on Tuesday, much to the dismay of our social calendar. Seriously, between Boise State football and video games, we're booked for the next few months.

While each year brings new features to the game (Cris Collinsworth, anyone?), the updated rosters get people talking just as much as anything else. An 85 overall rating for Matt Leinart? Please. At least it appears that the Madden folks have the numbers right for Boise State's two newest NFL stars.

Ryan Clady

Overall: 79
Morale: 95
Acceleration: 85
Strength: 87
Runblock: 80
Passblock: 88

Orlando Scandrick

Overall: 73
Speed: 97
Acceleration: 97
Awareness: 42
Man coverage: 79
Zone coverage: 78

Madden lists Clady's catching ability as a 45. They must not have seen the Idaho game.

Player ratings [IGN.com]
Fastest players in Madden [List After List]

Morning paper: Boise State football links 8/14

2008-08-14T07:14:00.003-06:00

Woodruff named camper of the day [BroncoSports]
Take that, defensive line!

Recap of evening practice [BSU blog]

It's almost as if you were there.

Sean Bingham and the D-line [Statesman]
The Statesman's position-by-position preview begins.

Jamar Taylor spotlight [Statesman]
Happy to be in Boise so he won't "get in trouble."

Bart Hendricks asks the obvious [ISZ]
O-line should be focus of debate, not quarterback.

It's not easy being a walk-on [Press-Tribune]
Scholarships get the chicks.

Nevada to face BYU in 2010 [ESPN.com]
Oh yeah? Well, Boise State plays Toledo, so there.

Hitting QBs in practice sounds like a bad idea [SI.com]
GaTech QB Josh Nesbitt agrees.

Hawaii QB decision looming [Star Bulletin]
As is the potential for a five-win season.

QB battle: Moore vs. Hamdan: Day 10

2008-08-13T17:00:00.001-06:00

Vs.

The Bronco quarterback competition is into the double digits now, and we are still without a starter for the Idaho State game. Hmm, when we say it like that, it doesn't seem like such a big deal.

Hamdan: Threw a touchdown to Vinny Perretta, threw an interception to Kyle Wilson
Moore: Threw left-handed

Advantage: Push. An interception washes out a touchdown, and left-handed people make us feel awkward.

In the lead...Moore. He's living off his scrimmage performance, which is pretty much all anyone has to go off of now.

[UPDATE] Camp notes: 85-yard TD pass and a Doug Martin sighting

2008-08-13T13:30:00.002-06:00

Update: Dustin Lapray has filed his camp report. Tally-ho!

The Broncos are back on the practice field today (Thank goodness! Don't ever leave us again!), and they seem to have recovered well from a listless scrimmage. Touchdown bombs, interceptions, and false starts: at least it wasn't boring.

From Dave's Blog:

There were a heck of a lot more big plays than in recent practices. The defense dominated the first set of 11-on-11, but the offense played well in the middle part of practice, highlighted by a great 85-yard touchdown from Bush Hamdan to Vinny Perretta. That being said, the defense saw a pair of interceptions from Cedric Febis and Kyle Wilson in the final few minutes of practice

One of the picks was thrown by Hamdan, just in case you were getting your hopes up that someone was pulling away in this quarterback race.

While Southorn's report was encouraging, the Statesman's Chadd Cripe brings us some slightly more discouraging news:

Bad snaps, false starts and quick sacks left the offense frustrated.

But it wasn't all bad, right Chadd?

Freshman tailback Doug Martin darted up the middle for 35 yards.

Thanks. That makes us feel better.

The Broncos will have another practice later today, and we'll update this post as needed throughout the afternoon..

OBNUG's 500th post: bring on the carpal tunnel!

2008-08-13T11:00:00.003-06:00

We debated for awhile what we would do for our 500th post. A 10,000-word tome on Marty Tadman? An expose into the underbelly of the Boise State ticket office? A Fiesta Bowl haiku? But we decided to celebrate with a small pat on the back and move on to bigger and better Bronco things. Like practices we're not invited to.

We'd like to thank our readers for putting up with our narrow vocabulary that all too often resorts to the word "awesome." We'd like to thank Utah State for their willingness to be the butts of many jokes. But most importantly, we'd like to thank our Boise State Broncos for being the best team in the country to cover and root for. We never imagined that we'd have this much to write about, but we couldn't be happier with the way things have gone for this website. The Broncos will always have our loyalty, long after our keyboards and typing fingers quit working. We've had lots of fun over the past 500 posts, and we look forward to the next 500 (a.k.a. October).

In honor of our 500th post, we'll be revealing a big surprise on Monday (don't worry, we didn't sell out or anything). It will be worth the wait. Stay tuned.

Alex Guerrero visits Bronco podcast

2008-08-13T09:00:00.000-06:00

The latest Bronco Nation N.O.W. podcast is up, and it is entirely more professional than ever. Boise State's new Spanish color commentator, Alex Guerrero, paid a visit to discuss Bronco football, sprinting, and how you say "Fresno State is overrated" in Spanish.

Take a listen. Here's the link: Bronco Nation N.O.W. podcast.

Morning paper: Boise State football links 8/13

2008-08-13T07:30:00.000-06:00

No practice yesterday? Coach Pete must be getting soft. The Broncos will return to the field today in preparation for their final public scrimmage on Saturday (7:00pm at Bronco Stadium) and we'll bring you the recap later. Let's hope it involves quarterback separation.

BSU individual game tickets on sale tomorrow [Broncosports.com]
Blowouts guaranteed or your money back.

Derrell Acrey feature story [Times-News]
Twin Falls media expects big things.

WAC travel costs are mounting [Statesman]
As is discrepancy between top teams and bottom teams.

Nevada QB enjoys horses a little too much [ESPN.com]
We did not see this story coming.

Sky club photos [Statesman]
Furniture brought to you by Target sale rack.

Enderle eats up Idaho defense in scrimmage [KTVB.com]
Mmm, second-rate defensive backs.

CBS Sportline writer confesses Fresno love [CBS Sportsline]
Also, feel free not to let past precedent get in the way of your predictions.

Seattle Bowl? No thanks. We're good. [Seattle Times]
Sounds like an excuse to get the Washington Huskies into a bowl.

The official website of Colt Brennan [ColtBrennan5.com]
Feel free to check out the Colt forum. Or don't.

Brian Murphy gets people talking, flaming

2008-08-12T16:26:00.000-06:00

Everybody's favorite Statesman columnist is back to what he does best: incite anger.

Murphy jumped on a story on FOXSports.com about the Broncos that we linked to this morning regarding their being ranked as the best college football team from the last decade. The story is really not that big of a deal. FOX Sports didn't write it. Some Bleacher Report guy did. Bleacher Report is an open community for sports writers to give their opinions, and FOX Sports picks up an occasional story here and there.

Nevertheless, Murphy found the story important enough to blog about, and needless to say, he disagreed with it.

Still, it's tough to see how a team with one top-5 finish in the polls and no national titles (Boise State) is better than a team like USC, which won back-to-back national titles in the last decade.

Come on, Fox. This is plain ridiculous.

And then all hell broke loose in the comments section. Here is just a taste of the maelstrom of opinion:

I hate Murphy. Even if you feel that way as a local sports writer you have a lot of hate for our team and it is so easy to see in your writing of them. No one likes you in Boise except Vandal fans!

...and...

I do not know how he still has a job. Move to Moscow or Pocatello. OR if you dont have anyting nice to say just shut up

...not to mention...

You are entitled to your opinion and that is fine, you hate BSU, ok. My point again is that I do not think a local sports writer should have your negative opinion and always express teh negative side and view of our local team that most of us love in our local paper. He doesn't fit. I should not get angry every time I have to read his negative views of our team in MY LOCAL PAPER every day. You say then don't read it. It is one of the only things I have to keep up on my team. Most of us want a writer that gets us excited about our team and points out the positives. That is the point.

...and one more for good measure...

PLEASE STATESMAN PLEASE READ THIS. Give us a writer who gets excited about our local team and get us a writer who is excited about writing about them and actually likes them. Get rid of this bum. You would be doing us and from his writing I believe him a favor by doing so.

There were plenty more where that came from. At the time of this post, Murphy's article had racked up 56 comments. To put that in perspective, Chadd Cripe openly solicited comments about the quarterback race in a blog post last week. He got 46 replies.

Fortunately, some good came of this. One level-headed commenter set Murphy straight and gave everyone hope that there is a better alternative out there.

Murph, I am sure you read these comments. Understand that I don't live in Idaho. I live in St. George, UT. There is nothing in the way of Boise State coverage down here. I look to the Statesman to keep me informed. While I applaud you for remaining objective and fair most of the time, I have to agree with the masses this time. You purposely are misleading your readership with this blog entry.

For the rest of you out there who feel like I do, there is a little known website out there that I've found has all the Boise State information one could want. It's called 'One Bronco Nation Under God' and you can access it at www.obnug.com.

I wouldn't be one bit surprised if Murph found this FoxSports.com piece by going to OBNUG himself and seeing the link that was posted this morning.

Glad to see this whole thing could come to a fair and just conclusion.

Boise State #1 football team over last decade? [Murph's Turf]

Update: Murphy has been compelled to respond.

Fresno State also willing to schedule easy teams

2008-08-12T15:00:00.001-06:00

Anyone, anywhere, anytime...especially UC Davis.

Fresno State to play UC Davis in 2009 [ESPN.com]

Utah State preview: board the train to nowheresville

2008-08-12T13:30:00.001-06:00

Previewing the WAC seems like a good job for an intern. Unfortunately, we do not have an intern. Ugh. Previously: SJSU, LaTech, Fresno State, Hawaii. Today: Utah State.

Utah State

Team motto: "Failure is totally an option"

By far, the high point of last year for the Utah State Aggies was winning in consecutive weeks against Idaho and New Mexico State to finish the season. If that doesn't set the recruiting trail abuzz, then we don't know what will.

The Aggies have even higher hopes this season now that they have momentum and a full roster of players to work with. Could their two-win 2007 turn into a four-win 2008? Talk about a program on the rise!

At this point, head coach Brent Guy will take anything. His tenure in Logan has been short on winning and long on blowouts, and no matter how you classify last season's two-game winning streak, it doesn't change the fact that the Aggies have been just plain bad. If Utah State has plans on contending in the deep waters of the WAC, they are going to have to overcome their fears of sailing one way or another.

Five questions

Does anyone want to play quarterback at Utah State?

From the looks of things, the answer is "no," followed shortly thereafter by an "Are you kidding me? They're terrible!" First, the Aggies lost quarterback Riley Nelson to rival BYU in what was later termed as upward mobility. Then one of the key competitors in the fall quarterback race, Jase McCormick, up and quit once fall camp started, citing a lack of "interest" (read: winning) in "football" (read: getting Utah State chicks). Can you blame them? Well, Brent Guy probably can because now he is left with senior Sean Setzer holding the reins to the offense. You can loosen your grip, Sean. The offense isn't going anywhere.

What's this new weight room I am hearing so much about?

Utah State is at least doing things right with their facilities and infrastructure. Over the summer, they replaced their athletic director and duped the new guy into thinking that the football program can be a viable income source some day. Sucker. As a result, the Aggies have a brand new training facility that is either state-of-the-art or better-than-whatever-high-school-we-were-at-before. The press release was not clear.

The Aggies are hoping that the upgraded facilities will bring in new recruits, and their hopes are being met at least a little bit this season. USU will have the full allotment of roster players for the first time since people believed Guy was the right choice for the job. In other words, the first time in a long time.

Does Brent Guy keep fresh copies of his resume on hand, you know, just in case?

Hey, we were just speaking about Guy! As a former Boise State assistant coach, we wish we didn't have to poke fun at his win-loss record (6-29) or his striking resemblance to Mr. Belvedere.

But when you're a bad head coach with a bad team, the ribbing is inevitable. So, too, is the shaky job security. Though Guy maintains that he is indeed not on the hot seat, the results of his tenure say otherwise. If he cannot at least tread water in the WAC and beat Idaho and NMSU again, the Aggies could be looking elsewhere for unconvincing coaching candidates.

Jake Hutton: superstar by association or statistical anomaly?

The Aggies' "star" linebacker gets credit for being a good player on a bad defense. His stats reflect as much: 102 tackles and a sack only because no one else had the desire to sack and/or tackle. To be sure, WAC offenses will gameplan for Hutton but only because there is no one else to gameplan for and they'd get bored otherwise. The jury's still out on whether or not returning nine starters on defense is a good thing or a bad thing.

Describe in a picture what will happen when Utah State visits Oregon.

Over/Unders

+/- 1 minute, 30 seconds into their first game it takes for the Aggies to lose the momentum from last season

+/- 3 starting quarterbacks, in addition to Jase McCormick, who suddenly decide that football just isn't their thing

+/- 7 thirty-point losses

Are things improving at Utah State? From certain angles, yes. But in the big picture, the Aggies are still the Aggies.

Certainly, building a modern weight facility is a good start. Thick-necked high school seniors will appreciate that. But the product on the field is several years behind in the quest for belonging in the WAC.

With no clear-cut leader of the offense and nothing to scare opponents on defense, the Aggies have the look of a typical Aggies team...except with more guys standing on the sideline. Having a full roster must be great for practice ("We don't have to play both ways any more! Hooray!"), but unless the roster is full of four- and five-star recruits, it won't matter much on Saturdays.

Speaking of not mattering, that's the case for Utah State again. And so long as the Aggie administration is happy with that, Brent Guy should be back to do it all again next year.

Perfect situation

NCAA allows Utah State to play with 13 men, Aggies win three games instead of two

Reality

the offense struggles to score, the defense struggles to matter, USU loses to Idaho, Brent Guy takes head coaching job at Cole Valley Christian High School in Meridian

Final record: 2-10 overall, 1-7 conference

QB battle: Moore vs. Hamdan vs. Lomax(?): Day 9

2008-08-12T09:30:00.000-06:00

Vs . Vs .

Guessing who the starting quarterback will be based solely on the media reports from practice is hard. So with the Broncos' first public scrimmage in the books, we finally have some biased personal opinion to throw into the mix.

There was no clear-cut winner in the quarterback race yesterday. There was really no clear-cut winner of anything. But one thing's for sure is that whoever gets names the starter will have to be good at scrambling, making plays on the run, and handing the ball off.

The Moore vs. Hamdan debate, at least for one day this fall, should make room for Nick Lomax. The hard luck junior had the best efficiency rating out of the three QBs, which should earn him at least a mention in the competition conversation. Although, running against third teamers would make anyone look good. Right, Kevin Sapien?

Moore: 9-of-22 for 137 yards and a touchdown. Looks very much in control of the offense. Seems to always come up big in game situations. Goes through his reads too quickly. Moves well. Has big-play potential.
Hamdan: 5-of-15 for 48 yards. Feels pressure and moves well within the pocket. Throws with confidence. Forces balls into tight spots. Tends to lock on to receivers. Smells like a leader.
Lomax(!): 7-of-9 for 68 yards. Owns the third-team defense. Is tall. Delivers the ball on time and with accuracy. Has virtually no chance of being starting quarterback.

Advantage: Moore.

In the lead...Moore. The freshman jumped over the senior in our minds with his performance in the first scrimmage. He seemed to handle his situations the best out of all four quarterbacks, and he made the right decision on almost every play. With the line the way that it is, Moore looks the best under center because so much of his potential is on the run, outside of the pocket. Hamdan is just a bit behind, but all could change over the next five days.

First scrimmage short on excitement, long on potential

2008-08-12T07:45:00.000-06:00

The Broncos' first scrimmage of the fall went about as planned, provided you were planning on few big plays, lots of missed blocking assignments, and absolutely no idea who will be the starting quarterback in 18 days.

The reports from the media kind of made it seem like the end of the world out there, but it's not like Jon Gott was taking his shirt off or anything. Then the newspapers might have had something to complain about. From what we saw of the scrimmage, it looked pretty similar to one of the lackadaisical scrimmages from the spring, except it was hotter. And Bob Behler was there.

Are we panicking? Of course not. If anything, we are stoked because we got to see the Broncos play for the first time in months. They'll have all the issues ironed out by Saturday (the next scrimmage), and we'll be in for a good show.

Here are some observations from the first scrimmage of the fall:

Blitz!

The Boise State defense was coming early and often for a good portion of the scrimmage. Let's hope we see this same aggressiveness during the season. The linebackers and defensive backs for the Broncos are some of the most athletic guys on the team, so it makes sense to put them in position to make plays. Derrell Acrey, we're looking at you.

Johnson!

The Johnson who stood out in yesterday's scrimmage was not the one you might expect. While Ian Johnson had a decent enough afternoon, safety Jeron Johnson really shined. He had a number of big hits on ball carriers and receivers, and he looked solid roaming the secondary.

Blocking!

The final numbers for the running game were 122 yards on 52 carries. And it looked like it. If you enjoy watching running backs blast into piles of big bodies, then this was the scrimmage for you. On the one hand, the defensive line did a good job holding the line of scrimmage. On the other hand, the offensive line did a bad job of creating running lanes, opening holes, or doing its job.

Indecision!

We would bet large sums of money on the fact that Coach Pete and his staff are not making any quarterback decision following this scrimmage. First off, they love to tease us. Secondly, no one separated themselves far enough to make the decision easy. One interesting subplot from the scrimmage was the time that walk-on QB Drew Hawkins spent under center. We really don't need a five-man quarterback race right now.

Heft!

There are some big freshmen out there. Specifically, we noticed Faraji Wright enveloping people, and we were shocked to see how big Byron Hout's arms were. Along the line, there are several new players with some much-needed size, including Wright, Joe Kellogg, and others. The future looks bright...and beefy.

Drops!

Wide receivers dropped an awful lot of passes yesterday, which will probably be the first and only time that will ever happen. As an aside, it sure was nice to see Jeremy Childs lining up alongside Titus Young, Austin Pettis, and Vinny Perretta.

Morning paper: Boise State football links 8/12

2008-08-12T07:30:00.000-06:00

There is plenty to talk about regarding the first scrimmage of the fall, and before we get into our take on things, let's hear what the Internets have to say. Aren't we gracious?

Fall scrimmage reports

Moore vs. Hamdan vs. everyone else still up in the air [Fight Fight BSU]
QB stats and Coach Pete audio [Dave's Blog]
Gassers do not sound like fun [Bronco Beat]
Taylor Tharp and Coby Karl were there. Party! [Press-Tribune]
Did Dustin Lapray just start his post with a bandana story? [BSU Blog]
Photos and feedback from the scrimmage [Statue Left]

Hop on the D.J. Harper bandwagon [Statesman]
We're already on it, but thanks anyway for the invitation.

The O-line has some work to do [Press-Tribune]
Rushing for 2.3 yards is far too San Jose State-ish.

von Oelhoffen released by Eagles [Statesman]
Carson Palmer's knee laughs an evil laugh.

Boise State best team of last decade [FOX Sports]
We'll take it even if it's only FOX Sports who's giving it.

Injuries strike Vandal line [Statesman]
Good thing they have depth. Oh wait. Never mind.

Week One predictions [What If Sports]
Boise State should be safe.

Boise State scrimmage: questions that need answering

2008-08-11T14:00:00.003-06:00

The Boise State Broncos will take the field later this afternoon for the first scrimmage of fall camp, and we could not be more excited. We could also not be more curious.

Over the inexorably long summer, we had plenty of time to sit around and think up open-ended questions about the Broncos upcoming season. And with practices being closed to the public, we have had to cobble together answers based on spotty play-by-play from the local media.

Not today. This afternoon we will finally get a chance to put the pieces together for ourselves about this 2008 Bronco team. Here is what we'll be looking for:

Will Ian Johnson's backup be D.J. Harper or Jeremy Avery? One of these two should be in line to get the scraps of Johnson's carries, and thus far through the first week of camp, they seem to be pretty even. Harper and Avery? Avery and Harper? We'll see in a little bit.

Can we forget the whole "Q" formation ever happened? The Broncos' spring surprise was a version of Nevada's pistol that looked pretty cool right up until the snap when everything fell apart. For that matter, what will shotgun snaps look like? The Boise State centers have had all summer to perfect the art of throwing footballs between their legs, so there should be some improvement. We're willing to reconsider the "Q," but the Broncos are going to have to do an awful lot of convincing.

Do you think we'll recognize Jeremy Childs? Absence makes the heart grow fonder...at least that's what we told ourselves when the girls we liked wouldn't return our phone calls. Childs has been off the field for what seems like an eternity. It will be the highlight of our August to see him running routes beside Titus Young, Austin Pettis, Vinny Perretta, and others.

Could Mike T. Williams and Ryan Winterswyck get sacks on every play? We're pretty sure they could if they wanted to. Out of all the Bronco storylines going into this year, these two defensive ends are the ultimate headliners. Hyperbole alert: they could be the greatest pass rushing duo that the WAC has ever seen! We are literally giddy with excitement.

Which Kyle Brotzman will show up? In spring practice, we saw the inaccurate, complacent Kyle Brotzman, but we really want to see the precise, confident Brotzman from a season ago. We'll attribute the spring misses to Brock Jaramillo's extortion tactics. Let's hope things are better today.

Will Dustin Lapray be wearing a derby with a feather? The Magic Valley Times journalist/poet/worsdworth writes like he has been transported out of 17th century literature, and his BSU blog reads more like a Shakespearean play than a football practice report.

Oh, and we may be a little interested in seeing some of the quarterbacks throw.

Before you head to the scrimmage, make sure to print yourself a roster.

Clady's first game as a pro does not please Woody Paige

2008-08-11T13:00:00.001-06:00

In NFL preseason games over the weekend, several former Boise State players saw action, much to Woody Paige's chagrin.

First round pick Ryan Clady had a harsh introduction to the NFL against the Mario Williams and the Houston Texans. From the Denver Post (via Scott Slant), here is Woody Paige's take on Clady's performance. Note: we do not place much credence in anything Woody Paige has ever said.

"Ryan Clady, the No. 1 pick, became the first Broncos' rookie to start the opening exhibition at left tackle, and he looked every bit of it. Clady played the entire first half and was flattened like a dry-cleaned starched shirt in the beginning, and often. He was overmatched against Texans defensive end Mario Williams (the former No. 1 pick overall). He will need help."

Well, we're sure Boise State would take him back if that would help matters any.

The Post's game recap was a little more balanced in its perspective of the Clady/Williams matchup, which probably just goes to show that Woody Paige does not know how to objectively watch football.

Left tackle Ryan Clady got a rookie baptism from the Texans' star defensive end, Mario Williams. There were times when Williams knocked Clady back into his own backfield, but the Broncos' first-round draft choice did compete and gave Cutler time to throw on the touchdown drive.

Fortunately, other Boise State alumni had better luck than Clady, especially Orlando Scandrick and Jeb Putzier. Scandrick had three tackles, one sack, and two kickoff returns in a Cowboys loss. Putzier caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Seneca Wallace in a Seahawks win.

Tonight, ESPN will have Korey Hall, Daryn Colledge, and the Packers...oh, and enough Brett Favre news to choke a horse. Let's hope the scrimmage runs long.

Bizarro Nevada fall scrimmage, defense beats offense

2008-08-11T09:31:00.001-06:00

One of Boise State's chief WAC rivals this season will be the Nevada Wolf Pack, who should have one of the best offenses in the conferences. Supposedly.

Such was not the case in Nevada's first scrimmage of the fall yesterday.

The first scrimmage of the 2008 season went to the defense which scored twice and allowed only one score in a 90-minute and 90-plus play scrimmage Sunday at Mackay Stadium.

The "D" returned a fumble and an interception for touchdowns and forced five turnovers total. Colin Kaepernick and Luke Lippincott, the two stars of the Nevada offense, were held to 102 yards combined, and OBNUG's pick for preseason WAC offensive player of the year, QB Nick Graziano, went 3-for-12.

By the way, the Nevada defense is terrible.

What should Bronco fans make of this result? Probably little. Seeing Nevada struggle on offense will undoubtedly encourage us to make some inappropriate jokes at their expense, but when all is said and done, the Nevada offense will be fine, the Nevada defense will be bad, and the WAC championship will still come down to Fresno State and Boise State.

In the meantime, we'll be snickering at Kaepernick's efficiency rating.

Defense dominates the day [Nevada Appeal]

Morning paper: Boise State football links 8/11

2008-08-11T07:30:00.001-06:00

Happy Monday, Bronco fans. Today is the Broncos' first scrimmage of the fall from 3:00 to 5:30 this afternoon at Bronco Stadium. We'll be there, so feel free to come say hi. We'll be the ones with the Marty Tadman life-size cardboard cutout.

Saturday camp recap [Dave's Blog and Bronco Beat]
Ugh, two-a-days.

Sunday camp recap [Dave's Blog and Bronco Beat]
A Drew Hawkins TD run? We have no idea what is happening with this QB race.

Campers of the day [BroncoSports.com]
Spoiler alert: Martin, Mackey, and Brockel.

Dave Southorn's mohawk update [Dave's Blog]
This is probably what we would do if we had media credentials, too.

No Nate Potter vs. Idaho State [Press-Tribune]
Arthroscopic knee surgery for the new OT.

More no-huddle is fine by us [Press-Tribune]
So long as the no-huddle does not involve the "Q."

Hamdan love from the Statesman [Statesman]
Does Chadd Cripe have a crush?

The story behind the jersey numbers [Press-Tribune]
Coach Pete used to wear #9, which is our new favorite idea for a personalized jersey.

Interesting Jarrell Root story [Statesman]
Taking on Clady in practice couldn't have been easy.

Ian Johnson feature at [Pro Football Weekly]
It's like January 2007 all over again.

Robert Smith has lost his mind [PWtW]
ESPN "analyst" picks Kaepernick as Heisman candidate.

SMU ticket sales up by 50 percent [Dallas Morning News]
Hawaii ticket sales down by 50 percent?

WIR: Bronco Nation rejoice, football returns

2008-08-08T17:00:00.004-06:00

Week in Review (WIR) had a wonderful summer vacation, thanks for asking. But now there's work to do. First off, about the weekend. The Broncos will be practicing Saturday and Sunday, and here are some places to go if you need a fix of Bronco news. (We're pretty sure you could have found these on your own; we just like mothering you.)

This week was the busiest yet at OBNUG, as we cranked out 26 posts in five days. Hello, early onset carpal tunnel syndrome! Here are the best posts from the last week:

Camp notes from Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and today
WAC quarterbacks falling like flies.
Zabransky not as clutch as people remember.
The Statesman surprises.
Fresno State team preview.
WAC teams are unusually happy.
Hawaii's season preview.
Preseason football should be fun.

We'll see you bright and early on Monday morning. Have a good weekend, Bronco fans.

QB battle: Moore vs. Hamdan: Day 5

2008-08-08T16:00:00.012-06:00

Vs.

The Press-Tribune has posted audio from Kellen Moore's post-practice press conference. Here's the link: Press-Tribune multimedia. We know what will be playing in David Augusto's iPod this weekend.

Here's today's breakdown:

Moore: connected with Titus Young on a deep TD, thought it was "awesome"
Hamdan: found Vinny Perretta for a long touchdown toss, celebrated with Geritol and extra-cautious high-fives

Advantage: Moore. Assuming Young will be on the field more often than Perretta, Kellen chose the right wideout to connect with.

In the lead...Hamdan. By a hair. And no, we have nothing to base this on.

Camp notes: pads are heavy and other new experiences

2008-08-08T13:30:00.004-06:00

Today's Boise State practice was full of firsts:

First time wearing full pads
First time practicing on the new blue turf
First time newcomers practiced with returners
First time the offense showed up
First time Paul J realized that Jeremy Childs and Jeremy Avery are different people.

Dave Southorn filed his report from the morning sessions, and he had plenty of nice things to say about RB D.J. Harper, even though Harper did not have many nice things to say about himself.

"I was actually really disappointed with how I did last year," Harper said. "If I can stay healthy, I want to be a lot more productive."

The offense finally showed some firepower with three long touchdown plays during practice today. Kellen Moore and Bush Hamdan threw for two of the scores, and Jeremy Avery broke a 45-yard TD run. It sure was nice of Ryan Winterswyck and Mike T. Williams to let them.

Chadd Cripe has details, too.

More on practice today if anything surfaces.

NFL preseason weekend: Scandrick vs. Naanee and more

2008-08-08T08:43:00.000-06:00

There are plenty of Boise State players on NFL rosters this offseason (see our list for AFC and NFC), so there are plenty of reasons to cozy up to Rich Eisen and the NFL Network all weekend. Gerald Alexander and the Lions played last night (Alexander had one tackle), and there is a full slate of games over the next few days. Here are the top games to watch.

Cowboys vs. Chargers, Sunday 8:00pm
Romo vs. Rivers. Tomlinson vs. Ware. Owens vs. Cromartie. Scandrick vs. Naanee? You can forget those first three matchups. It is preseason, remember? The Scandrick-Naanee battle will be the fun one to watch. Both former Boise State standouts should see significant playing time in this first preseason game, and there is a good chance that they might line up across from one another. Who will get the better of whom? Will they chat about the Boise Fanci Freez? Will the Hard Knocks cameras pick up on this?
Broncos vs. Texans, Sunday 6:00pm
Ryan Clady will get his first taste of NFL action against Mario Williams and a whole bunch of Mario Williams' back-ups.
Cincinnati vs. Green Bay, Monday 6:00pm, ESPN
Do you think the ESPN crew will talk much about Brett Favre? Only all the time! Try to cut through the Favre love shower to get your eye on Daryn Colledge and Korey Hall. The two former Bronco stars will still give you a reason to watch the Packer offense even though it does include more Aaron Rodgers than you might want.
49ers vs. Raiders, Saturday 8:00pm
Drisan James (Oakland) and Jerard Rabb (San Fran) are both battling for roster spots on their respective teams, and they'll need to make their mark early in the preseason to earn their shot. How about a re-creation of the Fiesta Bowl hook-and-ladder? We doubt Jared Zabransky is busy.

Morning paper: Boise State football links 8/8

2008-08-08T07:30:00.004-06:00

Practice begins in earnest today as the players put on full pads and the newcomers join the returners for morning practice. David Augusto could NOT be more excited.

Brandyn Thompson named camper of the day [BroncoSports.com]
That brings the tally to Defense 3, Offense 1, Special teams: 0.

Get your Ian Johnson injury pdf [Press-Tribune]
Now the season can officially get underway.

Further details on Bronco practice [Times-News]
Dustin Lapray is nothing if not descriptive.

George Iloka is the man [Statesman]
He is more mature at the age of 18 than we are now.

Yakima loves adopted son Kellen Moore [Yakima Herald]
Reporting on other newspapers' polls must mean a slow news day.

Idaho needs wideouts [Statesman]
In addition to most everything else.

Elkin first to admit he was awful last year [Statesman]
Punting is not as easy as it looks apparently.

Freshman DT Michael Atkinson could be good [Dave's Blog]
At least a few of these freshmen are going to see playing time. Why not the big one?

Nevada is so weird [ESPN.com]
First hynotism. Now volleyball. What's next? Improv?

Beer and fantasy sports are here to stay [SI.com]
Maybe there is hope for college football after all.

QB battle: Moore vs. Hamdan: Day 4

2008-08-07T17:00:00.005-06:00

The most important decision in the history of the world will be made in the next few weeks, and we'll be providing daily updates on all the hype and hyperbole surrounding the Boise State quarterback competition.

Vs.

Today was an ugly day in the Boise State quarterback competition, as the Bronco defense picked off six passes. Though throwing six interceptions might be good enough to win Nathan Enderle the starting job at Idaho, the same is not true of the Boise State QBs. Here is where things stand after four days.

Moore: was picked off at least once
Hamdan: was picked off at least twice

Advantage: Direct snaps to Ian Johnson.

In the lead: Joe Southwick. The quarterback recruit for the class of 2009 did not have an interception today...that we know of.

Camp notes: defense making up for lost time

2008-08-07T13:30:00.002-06:00

The defense is typically ahead of the offense during the first few days of fall camp. But six-interceptions ahead? That's just showing off.

According to the reports from the morning session, the Boise State D got to Bronco quarterbacks six times, which is nearly half as many interceptions as the defense had all of last year. Who all got a pick? Here's the list.

Derrell Acrey
Brandyn Thompson
Derrell Acrey again
Keith McGowen
George Iloka
Aaron Tevis
Chadd Cripe

Of note from the various camp breakdowns, Dave Southorn reports that Jeremy Childs still has it, Cripe reveals that Andrew Woodruff has lost 35 pounds, and Brian Murphy picks a fight with Graham Watson. Perhaps we can get media credentials to that.

If you are curious about hearing an Ian Johnson interview, the Press-Tribune has the audio up on its site. We'll be updating this post with any breaking news throughout the afternoon.

Hawaii preview: live in the past, it's better there

2008-08-07T11:30:00.003-06:00

Previewing the WAC seems like a good job for an intern. Unfortunately, we do not have an intern. Ugh. Previously: San Jose State, LaTech, and Fresno State. Today: Hawaii.

Hawaii

Team motto: "What would Colt Brennan do?"

Last season, the Hawaii Warriors reached the pinnacle of the non-BCS mountain, which only made their fall that much harder. And farther. And more humiliating.

Losing to Georgia quickly put an end to their undefeated dreams (not that their WAC championship rings got the memo), and now look at them. No Colt Brennan. No June Jones. Four fewer cocky wide receivers. This is nowhere near the same Hawaii team we saw last year.

But before you go writing the Warriors off, new head coach Greg McMackin would like to remind you that they still have 85 percent of the team back. He’d also like to remind you that Coke now has fewer calories.

Five questions

Hawaii plays defense?
This year they do. In fact, Hawaii has some of the best defenders in the WAC with LBs Solomon Elimimian and Adam Leonard and DE David Veikune. These players will be key to whatever the Warriors hope to do this season, whether it be competing for another WAC title or simply not losing to San Jose State.

Could Hawaii be the least convincing defending conference champion of all-time?
We have yet to find a single person who thinks that the Warriors will repeat as WAC champs. Not even Trev Alberts in his prime would touch this team. The Warriors simply have too much turnover in key places to be in the conversation for the WAC championship. When the Broncos lose a lot of players, they have the depth to reload and be right back at the top of the conference next year. When Hawaii loses a lot of players, McMackin drowns his sorrows in Fanta and thinks happy thoughts.

I miss Colt Brennan.
You are not alone. The island legend was largely responsible for the success of the team the last few years, but he certainly will not be forgotten at Hawaii, especially when Inoke Funaki is throwing up prayers into triple coverage. Brennan's imprint on the program will remain until the Warriors can find a capable replacement. Funaki may be it. So, too, might junior college transfer Greg Alexander. But secretly, the islands are pulling for Tyler Graunke, and by "pulling," we mean "writing his papers for him." Graunke might be back from academic suspension soon, and he may have time to win the starting job before the season starts.

If the Warriors are not rebuilding, then what exactly are they doing?
The word "rebuilding" is a dirty word on the campus of UH. So, too, is "perspective." Of course this team is rebuilding! They lost half of their offense from last year, the greatest coach in team history left, and Georgia gave everyone a blueprint on how to shut down the run 'n shoot. But if they don't want to use the term "rebuilding," we can respect their wishes. Besides, that's what our Roget's thesaurus is for. Do "renovating," "refurbishing," or "improvising" sound better?

Would Hawaii have gone undefeated last year if they were playing this year's schedule?
The Warriors sailed to the Sugar Bowl on the coattails of an easy schedule, and rest assured that the same thing would not have happened with the murderer's row Hawaii has on tap this fall. Good bye, Northern Colorado. Hello, Florida. Wish you could stay longer, Charleston Southern. Make yourself at home, Cincinnati. At least Weber State will be dropping by for a visit or else the Warriors might have been in serious trouble. Can you say drinking Mylanta straight from the bottle?

Over/Unders

+/- 4.0 GPA that Tyler Graunke earns this semester thanks to some generous Hawaii faculty members
+/- 12,000 Colt Brennan jerseys in the crowd this year
+/- 4 Inoke Funaki jerseys
+/- 3 games where the Warriors score fewer points than the defense has turnovers

The most intriguing part of the fall of Hawaii is that they are no longer intriguing. Hawaii games were known for being shoot-outs; this year they may more closely resemble defensive struggles. No one wants to stay up until 3:00 a.m. eastern to watch that! With their stars gone, the hype and attention typically paid to the program is as non-existent as a "Tyler Graunke 4 Heisman" t-shirt.

Another intriguing part about their fall is that they haven't really fallen yet. The media is quick to bury Hawaii before a single game is even played, yet the Warriors could turn out to be a decent team when all is said and done. They have strong players on defense, Graunke knows what he's doing most of the time, WR Malcolm Lane has potential, and much of the coaching staff returns.

Unfortunately, decent is a long way from good. The WAC has too many other good teams for the Warriors to make much noise. They've lost too many key players, their schedule is daunting, and the momentum from a season ago is only a memory. In other words, we're going to need more Coke.

Perfect situation

McMackin finds a time machine, visits the past to steal Colt Brennan, Warriors go undefeated, face Georgia in championship game, lose by fewer points this time

Reality

the offense struggles, the early schedule puts the Warriors in a hole, Tyler Graunke puts the Warriors in a deeper hole, Hawaii loses winnable WAC games, McMackin lifts the moratorium on the word "rebuilding" for next offseason

Final record: 5-8 overall, 4-4 conference

Morning paper: Boise State football links 8/7

2008-08-07T07:30:00.006-06:00

Good morning, Bronco fans. We took part in a another Bronco Nation N.O.W. podcast the other night with the guys from Statue Left and BNN. Here's the link: BNN podcast. The podcast has a sponsor now, which means we have to watch what we say.

Here are today's links:

Mike T Williams named camper of the day [BroncoSports.com]
That makes two defensive ends in three days. Shea McClellin is so due.

Continuity with coaching makes a difference [Press-Tribune]
You hear that, Idaho?

Richie Brockel values education [Statesman]
If more people were like Brockel, the world would be a better place and with thicker necks.

Dustin Lapray is sweating [Magic Valley]
Packing so much information into a camp report is hard work.

Tommy Smith spotlight [Statesman]
Atlanta linebacker still looking for the Boise Chick-fil-a.

Ticket sales for Bronco games break more records [Statesman]
The draw of the Idaho Power Ball mascot has never been higher.

Fiesta Bowl named BCS's best game [CBS Sportsline]
Dennis Dodd, you are okay in our book.

Fresno State defense in trouble? [Fresno State football blog]
We sure hope so.

Tight ends in focus [Scott Slant]
That headline came out wrong.

Nevada taking New Mexico Bowl loss pretty hard [Gazette-Journal]
It's okay. New Mexico shuts out teams all the time. Like Sacramento State, for instance.

QB battle: Moore vs. Hamdan: Day 3

2008-08-06T17:00:00.007-06:00

The most important decision in the history of the world will be made in the next few weeks, and we'll be providing daily updates on all the hype and hyperbole surrounding the Boise State quarterback competition.

Vs.

The Boise State quarterback competition is now into its third day, and we are no closer to finding out who will be manning the good ship Bronco come August 30th. Here is where things stand as of today.

Moore: Fumbled in the morning session. Looked small with shoulder pads on.
Hamdan: Reminisced about the early 1980's during line drills. Looked old with shoulder pads on.

Advantage: Push.

In the lead: Hamdan. Fortunately for him, ageism has no place among Bronco coaches.

Nailed it: ESPN has Idaho as worst team in the country

2008-08-06T15:00:00.001-06:00

And the second year of the Robb Akey era is officially underway.

Bottom 10 [ESPN.com]

Camp notes: on with the pads, on with the fatigue

2008-08-06T13:30:00.004-06:00

Fighting shoulder pads, heat, and the obvious emotional weight of not knowing enough facts about Jeremy Childs' suspension, the Boise State players are starting to look a little tired. The report from Wednesday's morning session was full of phrases like "wore down" and "take its toll." Just writing about it makes us want a PowerAde (purple flavor, of course).

Fortunately, the Broncos overcame the heavy legs to put in some good work in the morning session. Paint us a picture, Chadd Cripe.

The leading candidate for play of the day so far came from senior defensive end Mike T. Williams, who mauled freshman quarterback Kellen Moore from behind, knocked the ball loose and pounced on the fumble. It was a lineman's hat trick — sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery. In all, the defense recovered three fumbles in the practice.

Paint us a more vivid picture, Dave Southorn.

Some good plays were made, most notably when senior defensive end Mike T. Williams pretty much enveloped Kellen Moore from behind, popping the ball loose and recovering the fumble.

Quick! One of you tell us an amusing anecdote about George Iloka!

He is one of those unique personalities, sporting one of those late 80's flattops. He and Derrell Acrey did a handshake in the hallway at the Varsity Center like the one in the Kid 'n' Play movie "House Party."

Brian Murphy, what do you got?

Boise State junior quarterback Nick Lomax offered his thoughts on the QB derby Wednesday...

Eh, don't care.

Sounds like another good day at the office for the Broncos. The line played well in a blocking drill, and Jeremy Avery was running hard again. Does someone need to tell him that Ian Johnson is untouchable?

We'll update this post as we see fit throughout the afternoon.

WAC fall camps: hopes are high, better quit while you're ahead

2008-08-06T10:30:00.003-06:00

The beautiful optimism of fall camp will give way to the tragic reality of the regular season before long, so WAC teams better enjoy it while it lasts.

Rest assured, they are. Here is a sampling of the high hopes at WAC schools across the country.

New Mexico State

Our favorite out-of-touch fanbase has some pretty unfounded expectations this season. But what's new, right?

The Aggies are expecting to make it to a bowl game this season. We think the Aggies will win between seven and nine games this season including a sweep of rivals UNM and UTEP which is something they haven't done since the 2002 season

We're not entirely sure who is expecting them to make a bowl game other than Hal Mumme, Hal Mumme's immediate family, the webmasters at holbrook4heisman.com, and crazy people.

Hyperbole courtesy of Bleed Crimson.

San Jose State

We always pictured Spartan head coach Dick Tomey as a sensible person, but even he can't help but get caught up in the kiddie-pool-wave of excitement surrounding his program.

Coach Dick Tomey, entering his fourth season at SJSU, said. "This should be our best team."

Not sure if that's saying a whole lot.

Blind hope courtesy of the San Jose Mercury News.

Louisiana Tech

The Bulldogs are throwing a Fan Fest on August 10th to celebrate success that hasn't happened yet. We did the same thing when we threw a premature Prom Date Fest in high school.

Tech fans will have an opportunity to meet and greet this year’s players, coaches and administrators during the two-hour event while obtaining autographs and pictures. Numerous activities will be available for youngsters, such as games, face painting and more.

We imagine that the more includes arm wrestling with Derek Dooley, a Taylor Bennett dunk tank, and a petting zoo.

Blatant hype courtesy of the News-Star.

Utah State

This week, Utah State quarterback Jase McCormick quit the team, leaving senior Sean Setzer as the leader in the Aggies' quarterback derby. Perhaps Setzer's joy over this news has adversely affected his decision-making.

"I think we can be really good this season," senior quarterback Sean Setzer said. "We have a lot of weapons; we have to play with more discipline so we can win the close games. But I definitely think we've made a big improvement over last season."

Adding, "How could we not?"

Fish story courtesy of the Salt Lake Tribune

Morning paper: Boise State football links 8/6

2008-08-06T07:30:00.003-06:00

We're already into day three of fall camp for the Broncos. Doesn't it feel good? With so much Bronco news to digest, who could blame you for slacking off of work? As such, we'll try to keep it under six posts today.

Chadd Cripe's interview with Bush Hamdan [Statesman]
Does anyone else get the feeling that we're headed for another senior starting quarterback?

Jeremy Avery named camper of the day [BroncoSports.com]
Take that, backup running backs!

Dave Southorn's notes from newcomers camp [Dave's Blog]
Giant linemen returning kicks. What is happening out there?!

Perretta feature story [Press-Tribune]
Vinny's bionic shoulder is doing just fine, thanks.

Voyeuristic practice photos [Statue Left]
Looking at them fills our hearts with guilt...and excitement!

Murphy's take on Jeremy Childs [Statesman] Don't you dare keep secrets from Boise State fans. We have a right to know.

Daron Mackey spotlight [Statesman]
We expect big things from Mackey this year. No pressure.

College football burning questions [Bleacher Report]
Could Tim Tebow start at linebacker in the WAC? For Utah State, certainly.

Nevada newspaper's Boise State preview [Nevada Appeal]
Possibly drunk guy's Boise State preview [Kegeratornation]
WAC preview with charts [By the Numbers]

QB battle: Moore vs. Hamdan: Day 2

2008-08-05T17:00:00.002-06:00

Vs.

Word from Broncos camp is glowing about Bush Hamdan and strangely silent about Kellen Moore. How are we supposed to overreact to every little detail when we don't have every little detail? Looks like we'll just have to start reading into things.

Moore: Practicing with the returners? Good. Throwing an interception to Jeron Johnson? Bad.
Hamdan: Gave a media interview and said all the right things.

Advantage: Hamdan.

In the lead: Hamdan. Haven't heard a bad thing about him yet ... except that he's a senior.

Fresno State preview: dream the impossible dream

2008-08-05T15:30:00.011-06:00

Previewing the WAC seems like a good job for an intern. Unfortunately, we do not have an intern. Ugh. Previously: San Jose State and LaTech. Today: Fresno State.

Fresno State

Team motto: "Disappointment is not an option (until November)"

The Fresno State Bulldogs are overrated, overhyped, and in over their heads. What’s new, right?

The national media has named the Bulldogs as WAC favorites despite obvious evidence to the contrary. They have pegged them as potential BCS busters, a title that is routinely placed on Fresno in the preseason only to be unceremoniously ripped from their grasp once conference play begins. And the Bulldogs have scheduled themselves into a fairly large hole with an extremely tough non-conference slate that just screams “2-2.”

Still excited about Fresno State? We haven’t even mentioned Tom Brandstater yet. "I can still make a play! DUAN!"

Five questions

What is all the fuss about?
The Fresno fuss comes from a number of different factors. First, the Bulldogs finished strongly last season with wins over Kansas State in a late non-conference clash and Georgia Tech in the Humanitarian Bowl (never mind the fact that GT didn’t want to be there). Second, Fresno returns 16 starters from last year’s team, including ten on offense. Third, that offense could be something special with senior QB Tom Brandstater, sophomore RB Ryan Mathews, and senior TE Bear Pascoe. And fourth, the media is dumb.

Where does Pat Hill’s courageous scheduling end and Pat Hill’s detriment to the team begin?
This question should be asked more often. Playing “anyone, anywhere, anytime” is a good motto if you never want to be successful in college football. The true formula for success is playing “the right teams at the right places at the right times” (see Boise State’s 2006 schedule for proof). Pat Hill is systematically screwing his team over year in and year out by giving them an impossible schedule. The players give it their all in non-conference play, never going undefeated, then they have the inevitable letdown once the WAC schedule rolls around. Come on, Pat. Be like everyone else and just schedule Cal Poly and MAC schools.

Tell me a Fresno State weakness that does not rhyme with Schmandstater.
The Bulldogs' front seven was hit the hardest in the offseason, and it remains to be seen how the team will recover. People forget that Fresno had the WAC's defensive player of the year last season in Marcus Riley, which probably means he shouldn't have been WAC defensive player of the year. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs will have to replace him if they hope to stop some of the high-powered WAC offenses...and some of the not-so-high-powered ones.

Who is Chastin West?
West led the team in receiving yards in 2006 before missing last year with a knee injury. The junior wideout is expected to add a deep threat dimension to the Bulldogs' offense, which is too bad considering Brandstater is still the quarterback. At any rate, West and teammates Marlon Moore and Jason Crawley will make the Fresno State receiving corps one of the most balanced in the conference.

Will the Bulldogs be undefeated when they come to Boise?
Don’t count on it. The Fresno schedule was not created with perfection in mind. It was created to accomodate giant let-downs in big games. Still, if the Bulldogs are as great as the media make them out to be, a perfect non-conference record could certainly be possible. It's that pesky WAC schedule that could ultimately be their undoing. November will be a tough month for Fresno, and arriving in Boise unscathed might be too much to ask. History would make it seem like expecting the Bulldogs to sail through the WAC would be like expecting British humor to consistently make sense. In other words, don't hold your breath.

Over/Unders

+/- 13 excuses involving Kansas State that Pat Hill makes following loss at Rutgers
+/- 173 references to "Touchdown" Tommy Brandstater that are immediately followed by incompletions or interceptions
+/- 6 WAC wins
+/- 32 defensive line combinations that Pat Hill tries before ultimately switching to the 1-2-8 defense.

One of these years Fresno State will break through and win a WAC title. So why not this year? That was the reasoning that the USA Today Coaches' Poll used.

The Bulldogs will undoubtedly be good. Their offense should run like a well-oiled machine. They will patch together a defense that keeps them in games. They have playmakers on both sides of the ball with experience and desire. But this would hardly be the first time that the Bulldogs have gone into a season with talent, and we know how many outright WAC titles they have to show for it (making "0" with fist and giggling quietly to oneself).

We refuse to jump on the Fresno State bandwagon both due to our hatred of Fresno State and due to the fact that we're not entirely sure the bandwagon will get where it's going. Is Tom Brandstater driving? Then we'll take the bus.

We may be horribly wrong; the Bulldogs might be great. But for now, at least we have history on our side.

Perfect Situation

The Bulldogs survive their non-conference schedule unscathed, Lonyae Miller and Mathews rush for 3,000 combined yards so Brandstater never has to throw a pass, Pat Hill figures out that the WAC isn't as hard as it looks, Fresno goes to Fiesta Bowl and beats a "glad-to-be-here" Notre Dame

Reality

The Bulldogs fall to Rutgers and Wisconsin; lose will to live; sleepwalk through rest of schedule, losing three WAC games; go back to Humanitarian Bowl and beat Georgia Tech, starting the whole hype machine over again next offseason

Final record: 6-5 overall, 5-3 conference

[UPDATE] Camp notes: Childs speaks on suspension, sort of

2008-08-05T13:45:00.001-06:00

UPDATE 2:45pm: Brian Murphy has breaking news regarding mohawks. It appears Vinny Perretta, Toshi Franklin, and Ian Johnson are sporting the look. Chadd Cripe talks to Bush Hamdan, who graciously talks back.

The morning practice for the Broncos is in the books, and Jeremy Childs is still the hot topic of discussion. Today, he spoke with the media for the first time since his suspension last season, apologizing for his mistake and looking ahead to the season. He issued a statement at the start of the interview, which pretty much clears things up in our book.

"First, I want to apologize to the city of Boise, to the school and the team for what happened in the spring,” Childs said.

Apology accepted.

“It was an honest mistake."

We had no idea plagiarism was wrong either.

"I regret the mistake."

It takes a big man to admit that so eloquently.

"I want to thank the coaches, my team for accepting me back. The athletic director. The vice president. The assistant vice president. One of my teachers. My family for the support and everybody in the community who supported me."

You're welcome.

"I'm looking forward to the season and getting ready to be back with the team and getting rolling."

Us, too.

The Press-Tribune has audio of the interview, and Dave Southorn lets us commonfolk in on some of the details from the morning session. Apparently, someone threw an interception, someone blew an airhorn, and George Iloka was there. Let your imagination fill in the rest.

We'll be updating this post if any other important camp news comes along today, so feel free to check back as often as you wish.

ESPN's non-BCS power rankings released

2008-08-05T10:17:00.001-06:00

The Broncos are No. 5 on the list of non-BCS teams. For now! (Cue haunting organ music.)

Non-BCS power rankings [ESPN]

An open letter to the Idaho Statesman

2008-08-05T09:03:00.003-06:00

Dear Idaho Statesman,

We know we’ve had our differences over the past few months, what with you being unwieldy and archaic and us being fresh and relevant, but we are prepared to bury the hatchet provided you continue rocking the coverage of fall camp.

Great job yesterday. We loved reading all the news and information you got from the players and coaches. Even hearing your observations was refreshing. You showed us yesterday that somewhere deep inside the structure and bureaucracy of the newsroom lies some knowledge of new media and that, more importantly, you are willing to overcome your fears and ignorance of blogging, uploading, and—dare we say—podcasting in order to provide fans with the copious amounts of Bronco news they desire. Thanks for that.

As a result, we are starting to slowly regain our trust in you, kind of like White Fang regaining his trust in humans. Just don’t tie us to a dog sled and make us race to save the farm! (Or was that Iron Will?) We are coming to appreciate the service you provide for the community of Bronco Nation—a service that up until yesterday was more like the service at the Overland Burger King than anything else.

Speaking of yesterday, let’s recap your newsiness blitzkrieg:

Chadd Cripe blog: Jeremy Childs news, walk-on information, more Drew Hawkins news than we care to read
Brian Murphy blog: camp news, WAC quarterback news (better late than never), rumors of suspensions

These instant news updates were supplemented by your always thorough analysis in the print edition, and it worked fairly effectively. More importantly, we could tell that you had been planning this new strategy for quite some time.

Mike Prater: Alright guys, let’s talk about fall camp. How do you think we should approach this?

Chadd Cripe: Well, what does OBNUG do?

Brian Murphy: Post all the time.

Prater: Right! Post all the time! We can do that!

Cripe: Meeting adjourned. Let’s go to Sonic!

Of course, this letter would be incomplete if we failed to address the coming weeks and months. Getting off to a good start is commendable, but keeping your momentum will be the real sign that you have arrived. We imagine that sometime in the next two or three days, you are going to get tired of writing HTML into your blogging program and want to forget the whole thing and go back to throwing news into the print edition. Don’t. That is not what Bronco fans want, and we think you know that.

Keep posting as frequently as you have information. The Press-Tribune does it this way, and we love them for it. You have an advantage that the rest of Bronco Nation does not: access. Use it wisely.

We believe in you for the first time in a long time. Don’t betray our trust. We’d hate to have to eat you like White Fang ate that kid. (Or was that Free Willy?)

Sincerely,
OBNUG

Morning paper: Boise State football links 8/5

2008-08-05T07:30:00.000-06:00

The local media came out like gangbusters for the first day of Boise State's fall camp. We'll see how long they keep it up. Here are the latest stories on yesterday's practices.

Dave Southorn's impressions of newcomer practice [Dave's Blog]
The new kids are big, and Drew Hawkins has energy.

Camper of the Day: Ryan Winterswyk [BroncoSports.com]
Poor, poor Nate Potter.

Minor roster notes [Press-Tribune]
No Jaramillo or Jordan. Slater gets scholarship.

Drew Hawkins feature [Statesman]
Because that's exactly what we've been asking for.

Chadd Cripe's camp notes [Statesman]
Interesting Stueckle Sky Club information.

Vandals start camp today [Statesman]
The city of Moscow sighs apathetically.

Twin Falls gets Bronco credentials? [Magic Valley Times-News]
We're about to make up a newspaper so we can get into practice, too.

A Brian Murphy podcast? Oh my. [BNN]
The Murph is leading the Statesman into the 21st century...with a microphone headset!

QB battle: Moore vs. Hamdan: Day 1

2008-08-04T17:00:00.003-06:00

The most important decision in the history of the world will be made in the next few weeks, and we'll be providing daily updates on all they hype and hyperbole surrounding the Boise State quarterback competition.

Vs.

Boise State football is back, which begs the question: Who will the starting quarterback be? Now that the players are actually on the field, we will be able to track the candidates (Kellen Moore, Bush Hamdan, and to lesser degrees, Mike Coughlin and Nick Lomax) and provide daily breakdowns of where things stand. Today, senior Hamdan takes the lead.

Hamdan: Spent summer vacation organizing softball game and warming up to media.
Moore: Spent summer vacation getting a farmer's tan.

Today's winner: Hamdan.

In the lead...Hamdan. But that's nothing a Planet Beach tanning session can't fix.

[UPDATE] Camp notes: Childs practices, will miss the opener

2008-08-04T14:58:00.003-06:00

UPDATE 4:45pm: Audio from Coach Pete available at IPT website. And check the newspaper blogs later tonight for a newcomer's practice recap.

The Bronco veterans practiced this morning, and there is plenty of good news to report.

1. Football is back.
This cannot be stressed enough.

2. Jeremy Childs news at last.
Childs practiced with the team today, ending the speculation as to his status for the 2008 season. The Broncos did announce that Childs will miss the team's ~~preseason game~~ season opener versus Idaho State on August 30th either as further punishment for his suspension or because Childs simply has better things to do.

3. DJ Harper is for real.
Dave Southorn reports that DJ Harper made his presence felt on the field today. We've had a lingering feeling since spring practice that Harper will be the No. 2 running back this fall, beating out Jeremy Avery. So far we have nothing to make us think otherwise.

4. Walk-ons galore.
There are 18 of them (including Dan Hawkins' quarterback son Drew), and we don't really feel like listing them here. If you want the full list, check out the Chadd Cripe's blog, Dave Southorn's blog, Fight Fight BSU, or the Boise State student directory.

We'll add to this post if there are any other pressing updates later today.

Childs won't play in opener [Bronco Beat]
It has finally begun [Dave's Blog]

ESPN confuses clutchness with popularity

2008-08-04T13:15:00.002-06:00

Is Jared Zabransky clutch?

We asked ourselves this question over and over again this weekend, and each time we came to the same conclusion.

No. Jared Zabransky is not clutch.

He is confident, brash, and cocky, but those components have little to do with being clutch and more to do with tattooing your initial on your bicep. Being clutch means showing up in big games every time and not folding under the pressure of the moment. Zabransky may have done this once or twice during his career, but did he do it enough to warrant consideration as "clutch"? We don't think so.

ESPN.com's Graham Watson disagrees. She recently listed the most clutch non-BCS players throughout history, and good old "Z" made her list.

Jared Zabransky, QB, Boise State -- Led the Broncos to a perfect 13-0 season in 2006, including throwing for 262 yards and three touchdowns in an overtime win against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.

We find it so interesting that Zabransky is remembered as a hero of this game. The national media seems to pick and choose the best parts of this classic game and focus solely on those aspects. "The Fiesta Bowl was great. Ian Johnson asked that hot cheerleader to marry him!" Meanwhile, there was terrific drama, intrigue, emotion, and suspense that gets lost in the shuffle.

Allow us to let the facts get in the way of this discussion:

Jared Zabransky threw a horrendous interception that was returned for a touchdown that could have very easily lost the game.
Zabransky took an awful sack while the Broncos were driving for the tying score.
The hook and ladder was a clutch team play, not a clutch Zabransky moment (deep in routes are not clutch).
Zabransky did not throw the tying score in overtime. A wide receiver did.

And those moments just describe his Fiesta Bowl. If we are taking this "clutch" debate further, we would also point out the 2005 Humanitarian Bowl and the Georgia game. Oh, the Georgia game! Zabransky proved over his Boise State years that he was a capable, play-making quarterback who could run hot and cold at times. And so long as we are celebrating that Zabransky, then we are all for it.

Besides, if we're going to be sainting Boise State athletes, we would prefer to start with Marty Tadman.

Clutch non-BCS players through history [ESPN.com]

As the WAC quarterbacks turn: Graunke out, McCormick done

2008-08-04T10:15:00.004-06:00

Hawaii and Utah State's quarterback competitions are not as competitive any more.

Tyler Graunke, the favorite for the Warriors' quarterback spot, will not be with the team for the foreseeable future, and Jase McCormick, one of several irrelevant contenders for the Aggies, has quit football entirely. Utah State will do that to you.

Graunke, who backed up Colt Brennan each of the last three years, was suspended in the offseason, but he seemed to have his problems worked out and was set to capture the starting quarterback spot. His situation now is pretty up in the air, and will remain that way so long as Hawaii head coach Greg McMackin continues to make broad, generalizing statements.

"Tyler has things he has to work on," McMackin said yesterday in a release from UH. "At this point, he will not practice with the team. Because of privacy laws, I can't comment any further."

Things are much more black and white with Utah State's Jase McCormick. He's got better things to do than lose to mediocre WAC teams week in and week out.

When reached by The Tribune on Saturday, Guy said that McCormick was involved with a few business ventures that he was doing well with.

Also, he was tired of this happening:

The turmoil at Hawaii and Utah State serves to highlight the QB flux across the WAC this season. In addition to the Warriors and the Aggies, there are several other schools with unsettled quarterback situations:

LaTech: open competition
San Jose State: open competition
Boise State: open competition
Idaho: Nathan Enderle

The signal callers in the WAC with job security are Tom Brandstater, Chase Holbrook, and Colin Kaepernick. Armageddon cannot be far off.

Graunke left back [Star Bulletin]
Jase McCormick leaves Aggies [Salt Lake Tribune]

Morning paper: Boise State football links 8/4

2008-08-04T08:30:00.001-06:00

Brian Murphy on QB competition [Statesman]
Coach Pete and Harsin have been there before.

Chadd Cripe on QB competition [Statesman]
Well, at least the Statesman isn't blowing this thing out of proportion.

Alex Guerrero doing color on Spanish radio [Fight Fight BSU]
Donde esta el futbol? En el endzone! Seis puntas!

Broncos ranked #26 by NYT [New York Times]
A good read, if you're into looking up words in dictionaries.

15 minutes of fame for the laundry guy [Statesman]
No word on the Tide-to-go pen.

Dinwiddie CFL player of the week [CFL.ca]
Bags of milk for everyone!

If Aztecs are out, will Broncos be in? [Union-Tribune]
SDSU may be without stadium, which makes it hard to play football.

Nevada gets QB commit [Gazette-Journal]
See? Early recruits can happen outside of Boise.

WAC recruiting budgets [ESPN]
Blogger is out to get us [Blogger Buzz]

The return of BSU football and OBNUG's new schedule

2008-08-04T07:30:00.001-06:00

Welcome back, Bronco football. We have missed you dearly.

Boise State will hit the field for their first practice of fall camp today, and before we know it, August 30th will be upon us. The Broncos practice 20 times in the next three weeks, taking only August 12th and 20th off during that stretch, and they'll have three scrimmages before "preparation" for Idaho State begins.

Monday, Aug. 11 from 3-5:30 p.m. at Bronco Stadium
Saturday, Aug. 16 from 7-9 p.m. at Bronco Stadium
Closed scrimmage at Eagle High School on Aug. 22.

Doesn't it just make you feel warm inside?

We at OBNUG are even more excited because the return of football means the return of a regular posting schedule. Over the summer, we have reined in our posts (really, we have), but starting today, all bets are off. Remember the days of four and five posts per day? Our social lives do. And those days are back and better than ever.

Keep checking back here for new posts or refresh your RSS reader. We'll be keeping the links around through the season, and we'll even bring back the week-in-review. And get ready for a big surprise in the next couple of weeks. It will be huge! (And no, it is not a Marty Tadman guest post, although we would not be opposed to that.)

Broncos open practice Monday [BroncoSports.com]

Exciting newcomers, fall camp subplots, and the return of Boise State football

2008-08-01T13:15:00.002-06:00

Boise State football is back. High five!

The Broncos take the field for the start of fall camp on Monday, and not a moment too soon. The offseason has been a difficult one, considering the way that last season ended for BSU. Two losses in a row is quite a different pill to swallow than a Fiesta Bowl win. But we swallowed it nevertheless, washing down the sucker with a tasty brew of early commits and media love. Mmmm, media love.

Now we can start over-evaluating players again. Woohoo! Here are the newcomers who will be in camp on Monday, listed in order of how stoked we are to see them.

LB Daron Mackey. Juco transfers are our weakness.
LB Byron Hout. The Hout era begins in earnest.
OT Tom Swanson. The biggest incoming lineman. Might eat Chris Potter.
WR Chris Potter. Fast, which should prevent Tom Swanson from eating him.
S Tyler Jackson. Young safeties out the wazzoo.

But of course, what would a Division I-A offseason be without drama. It would be a Division I-AA offseason probably. With the Broncos becoming more and more of a big deal every year, they have more and more questions to answer heading into the season. Here are some the most intriguing subplots to watch for when fall camp kicks off on Monday.

Who will be starting quarterback?
Will the offensive linemen be any bigger or any more experienced?
What's the deal with that "Q" formation?
Will playing in the shade of the Mothership make the Broncos complacent?
Can Bob Behler pick Tanyon Bissell out of a crowd?
Is Ryan Winterswyk human?
How soon can we talk about Doug Martin again?
Ian Johnson: overrated or not rated enough?
Will bloggers receive press credentials?

Naturally, all these issues will sort themselves out by the time Idaho State comes to town on August 30. And if they don't, at least it's only Idaho State.

But for now, football is back. Life is complete. And the world is right again.

Friday: Links with Fall Camp

2008-08-01T08:00:00.004-06:00

Story of the day:

Bronco recruits hit double digits [Press-Tribune]

The tenth verbal commitment for the Boise State Broncos came yesterday from Saguara (Arizona) defensive end Justin Jungblut. The senior-to-be is 6'6", 250 pounds, and he should feel right at home when he hits campus next fall.

Jungblut will join former Saguaro teammate Joe Kellogg on the Boise State roster. Kellogg is a freshman offensive lineman. Jungblut said he had 40 tackles, 15 for losses, and also had two sacks last season.

Jungblut also said that he had, like, 50 fumble recoveries.

Fight Fight BSU has the scouting report on Jungblut, who sounds like a keeper. Don't they all? He spurned offers from Idaho (good choice), Utah, UNLV, Air Force, and Wyoming. Coach Pete's penmanship sealed the deal.

“They did the best job of making me feel welcome, by far,” Jungblut said. “Coach Petersen has written me two letters — hand-written, so I thought that was pretty great.”

For some reason, Robb Akey's singing telegram just didn't do it for Jungblut.

Other links:

USA Today's preseason poll released [USA Today]
Boise State comes in at #34.

Murphy picks best offensive players in WAC [Statesman]
Not surprisingly, no Utah State players make the list.

KTVB 24/7 to air Bronco classics [Bronco Country]
Good luck finding KTVB 24/7.

USC #1 in Rivals countdown [Rivals.com]
Mark Sanchez must know someone at the Rivals office.

Fantasy CFB takes it up a notch [Wall Street Journal]
Now with names!

Coach Pete among up-and-coming coaches [Coaches Hot Seat]
Then again, so is Derek Dooley.

Unique shots of stadium expansion [Statue Left]
It looks so huge!

LaTech preview: slap some lipstick on that pig!

2008-07-31T13:15:00.000-06:00

Previewing the WAC seems like a good job for an intern. Unfortunately, we do not have an intern. Ugh. Previously: San Jose State. Today: Louisiana Tech

Louisiana Tech

Motto: Just Dooley it

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs are the trendy pick to surprise people in the WAC this season. But does anyone know why?

The Bulldogs certainly don't instill confidence with their outstanding offense. They are not revolutionary in their approach to special teams. Their defense is not suddenly good. No, most people are basing their sudden optimism on two things.

Derek Dooley.
Not sucking as much as usual last year.

Sadly, the WAC has come to this.

Five questions

Taylor Bennett. Thoughts?
If the Bulldogs were going for mediocre, semi-competent, vanilla quarterbacks with so-so arm strength and accuracy, then they hit the nail on the head. In fact, Bennett and last year's starter Zac Champion could very well be the same person, right down to the yuppy first names. But is Bennett ordinary enough?
Not yet, apparently. The Georgia Tech transfer is currently sitting at No. 2 on the depth chart to sophomore Ross Jenkins. Bennett will have to start misreading routes and throwing behind receivers pretty soon if he wants to get the job.

Are you drinking Derek Dooley's Kool-Aid?
Derek Dooley's Kool-Aid is more like a mojito of energy and positivity, and there is plenty for everyone. The head coach/athletic director/campus tour coordinator has Ruston buzzing with the anticipation of a .500 season and a berth in an obscure bowl game. Isn't college football great?
But as far as we're concerned, Dooley's shtick isn't doing it for us. We can't help but get this vibe when we hear his name:

No matter how he spins things, Louisiana Tech will always be Louisiana Tech--that is to say, they will always be mostly above average. So if Dooley has that flavor of Kool-Aid, then we'd be more than happy to drink it.

Describe the LaTech defense using only adverbs.
Disjointedly. Awfully. Tragically. Unwittingly. Openly. Unfortunately.

Will Patrick Jackson matter in three months?
LaTech's senior running back will have to matter for the Bulldogs to be successful. Though he has never rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season, he is always good for about four yards a carry, especially when Idaho is in town, and he and his fellow running backs will be the best part of the offense for the foreseeable future.
The good news is that the LaTech offensive line returns three starters from a year ago. The bad news is that both tackles are gone. Hope you like dive plays. We get the feeling that Jackson will find the going pretty tough this year, and he'll be forgotten about once backup Daniel Porter breaks a few 70-yard touchdown runs. Also, we doubt that will take three months.

What's going to happen when LaTech comes to town?
We don't usually get nervous about Louisiana Tech visiting Boise. That's kind of like the U.S. worrying about border safety with Canada. But this year might be different. Rather than the traditional Saturday kickoff, the Bulldogs will be in Boise on a Wednesday night. And the game is practically in September.
We worry that the Broncos will still be working out the kinks when LaTech comes on October 1st. We worry that Derek Dooley will look into our eyes and see straight to our souls. We worry that the Broncos may only win by four touchdowns.
And then we wake up and realize it was all just a dream. There's really nothing to worry about.

Over/Unders
+/-5, the number of times we fall asleep watching LaTech games this year
+/-0, Derek Dooley's Q rating
+/-450, rushing yards given up to Nevada
+/-11, times Taylor Bennett tries one of these, only with much less success and many more turnovers:

Jumping on the LaTech bandwagon is the new black. "They're cool! They're hip! They are geographically indifferent to their own conference!" Well, we're not buying it.

The reign of Derek Dooley might have gotten off to a good start, but let's look at the facts. In 2006, the Bulldogs finished 1-7 in the conference with losses to Idaho, NMSU, and San Jose State. In 2007, the Bulldogs were 4-4 in the WAC with wins over the same schools. There is a big difference between beating bad teams and being a good team. Basically, all LaTech did last year was win against four of the worst teams in the country, and we have a hard time placing our trust in a program that has, to this point, only proven their lack of awfulness. Beat Fresno State or Hawaii and then we can talk.

Perfect situation:
Taylor Bennett wins the starting quarterback job, the offense finds balance, the defense is allowed a "three-mississippi" head start on all pass plays, the Bulldogs win the WAC and go to the Hawaii Bowl, and Derek Dooley names himself King of Louisiana

Reality:
Taylor Bennett wins the starting quarterback job, proceeds to be not all that good, the defensive line forgets to show up for multiple games, Bulldogs somehow finish 5-3 in the WAC, media members write articles about how right they were in picking LaTech as a sleeper, Derek Dooley gives himself a promotion

Final record:
7-5 overall, 5-3 conference

Thursday: Links with greatness

2008-07-31T08:00:00.001-06:00

Story of the day:

Dominique Vinson and other Bronco casualties [Statesman]

As excited as we have been this summer about early commitments, Bronco fans could be just as concerned about the number of players leaving the team. The latest casualty is WR Dominique Vinson, a grayshirt last season who had some exciting expectations this fall. Let's go to the Statesman for the details.

No details of Vinson's departure were available.

Oh.

Vinson's departure adds to the rather long list of Bronco players who will not be back this year (mentioned by us and FFBSU), including some for medical reasons and a few for personal reasons. Depressed yet? If not, then this might do it for you (from the Scott Slant):

Ebenezer Makinde, recruited out of Phoenix as an "athlete" (meaning he'd be plugged in where he fits the best), might be waffling. Tim Schultz (Rivals.com) writes, "Makinde gave a verbal commitment to Boise State at the end of May and while he says he's still committed, he would like to see what options other schools might have to offer to get a feel for whether or not he made the right decision.

Say it ain't so, Ebo!

With all this discouraging news, it would be nice to have something optimistic to talk about. How 'bout a Jeremy Childs update? He is listed on the Boise State roster, which means he is either on the team or that the someone in the BSU administration office does not proofread. At this point, we'll take whatever we can get.

Other links:

Video tour of new Bronco Stadium Sky Club [KTVB.com]
Sadly, it will be the closest we come to getting there any time soon.

Wal Mart does not follow college football [KTVB.com]
But their PowerAdes sure are cheap!

Boise State good at marketing, too [Statesman]
Is there anything our teams can't do?

Not all Idaho players are worthless [Nevada Appeal]
Adam Korby broke the mold.

LaTech could be a sleeper [Times-News]
If sleeper means boring, then yes.

BSU a big game for Southern Miss [EDSBS]
Not losing as badly as last year would be sorta like a win.

Enjoy... [EDSBS]
(Giggling to ourselves)

Coach Pete speaking at coaching clinic [2News.tv]
Insider information about the Wolf Pack [PWtW]

One month from today...

2008-07-30T16:00:00.000-06:00

...the season begins!

Idaho State at Boise State, August 30th.

BSU numerical roster revealed

2008-07-30T13:15:00.000-06:00

The new BSU numerical roster is available on the BroncoSports website, finally giving us a chance to pre-order our Raphiel Lambert replica jersey. Get BroncoShop on the phone, Jeeves!

The biggest change on the updated roster is RB D.J. Harper's switch from #34 to #6--an obvious ode to Denver QB Jay Cutler. Seriously though, Harper will look pretty awesome running over defenders with a single digit on his back.

Doug Martin will indeed be wearing #22, and the rest of the skill position players stayed put with their same numbers. The only other big changes were CB Brandyn Thompson switching to #13 and DT Billy Winn going to #90.

Lambert and the other incoming freshmen were listed, which really makes them feel like part of the team for the first time. Now we actually have an excuse to get way too amped up about them.

Bronson Durrant, OG, #79
Greg Grimes, DL, #68
Byron Hout, LB, #69
George Iloka, S, #8
Tyler Jackson, S, #29
Joe Kellogg, OG, #61
Chandler Koch, TE, #86
Darren Koontz, DT, #95
Raphiel Lambert, CB, #38
Brenel Myers, OG, #64
Chris Potter, WR, #81
Tommy Smith, LB, #33
Tom Swanson, OT, #74
Jamar Taylor, CB, no number
Faraji Wright, OT, #75

Junior college transfer LB Daron Mackey will be wearing #45.

Roster - Boise State [BroncoSports.com]

Bronco blogger podcast returns from vacation

2008-07-30T10:30:00.000-06:00

After a summer of rest, the Bronco Nation N.O.W. podcast has resumed. Listen to JT Ray from BNN, Drew from Fight Fight BSU, and Matt Rodgers from Statue Left as they discuss the latest news and information. OBNUG took the Bush Hamdan route and politely declined.

Stream it from the website. Download it to your iPod. Burn it on a disc and take it to a rave. Or do all three.

The Bronco Nation Podcast - Shaken Off the Rust [50:15m]: Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download

Wednesday: Links with blowouts

2008-07-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

Story of the day:

Boise State practice schedule [Press-Tribune]

You may enjoy watching the Boise State Broncos, but the Broncos do not necessarily enjoy being watched.

That is the feeling we get from the release of the Fall Camp schedule. In addition to the common practice of banning the public from regular practice sessions, the team is extending its Joe Schmo prejudice even further. Observe the scrimmage information:

Monday, Aug. 11 from 3-5:30 p.m. at Bronco Stadium
Saturday, Aug. 16 from 7-9 p.m. at Bronco Stadium
The team also will hold a closed scrimmage at Eagle High School on Aug. 22.

Who closes scrimmages to the public? We're actually a little bothered by this, considering that Bronco Nation has been nothing but supportive. We just want to see our team play! We promise to leave the video cameras and Nevada scouts at home this time.

The Broncos will hold 24 practices in the three weeks leading up to the Idaho State game. When Fall Camp ends on August 24th, Boise State will spend the next week getting ready for Idaho State. Not that they'll need a whole week.

Other links:

Top 5 rivalries for non-BCS teams [ESPN.com]
Fresno State-Boise State may be the most lopsided rivalry ever. Unless you still consider Idaho-Boise State a rivalry.

Yeah, another bowl is a great idea [Washington Business Journal]
Congressional Bowl will feature Navy, ACC school, and an ambivalent sigh from the rest of the country.

Exodus from newspapers to online [From the Bleachers]
Little known fact: OBNUG used to have a print edition.

The WAC's hate meter [ESPN.com]
Graham Watson's glass must be half empty.

An epic WAC season? We're not sure about that [Arbiter]
Glad to see college journalists not afraid to make broad blanket statements.

Child-rearing tips from Dan Hawkins [CUBuffs.com]
"Sometimes you’re a potter, other times a blacksmith." Uh...

Will Hoenike finds wormhole in the fabric of time [ISZ]
At least, that's where the last optimistic Vandal conversation was heard.

A new perspective on bowl games [Bowlology]
Would a Boise State-Texas Tech Sun Bowl have ended any better?

San Jose State preview: fight the mediocrity!

2008-07-29T13:15:00.010-06:00

Previewing the WAC seems like a good job for an intern. Unfortunately, we do not have an intern. Ugh. Today: San Jose State

San Jose State

Team motto: "Attack the lower tier of the WAC"

Two years ago, the San Jose State Spartans were 9-4 and winners of the New Mexico Bowl. Last year, the Spartans were 5-7 and winners over UC Davis. In the immortal words of Mike LaFontaine, "Wha' Happened?"

The 2007 Spartans had a lot working against them. They opened with a difficult schedule that saw them start out 0-3. They lost starting running back Yonus Davis for the season to injury. They forgot to recruit impact players. Taking Hawaii to overtime was a good sign, but scoring a combined seven points against Fresno State and Boise State wasn't. When all was said and done, the Spartans were stuck in WAC mediocrity, not good enough to scare anyone but not bad enough to be confused with Idaho. Enjoying the Dick Tomey era yet, Spartan fans?

Five Questions

Is Kyle Reed the next Steve DeBerg or Jeff Garcia?
Forget DeBerg and Garcia. The Spartans would be ecstatic if Reed was the next Adam Tafralis. A transfer from Cal, Reed is battling for Tafralis' old QB spot with Myles Eden and Jordan LaScela. He may have the upper hand simply because he did, at one point, have Pac-10 talent. That should be good enough to fill Tafralis' "Don't blame me, I complete 62 percent of my passes" shoes.

What were you thinking when you chose Jeff Schweiger as your preseason WAC defensive player of the year?
Thinking outside of the box is good, provided that the box is full of Hawaii players. Schweiger seemed like a good pick because we see him and the SJSU defense being a key to the Spartans' "success" this year. Schweiger, a transfer from USC, and Coye Francies, a CB transfer from Oregon State, will take on the responsibility of the departed Dwight Lowery and Matt Castelo. A better question might be why Pac-10 players want to transfer to San Jose State.

Will I have to wake up at 9:00 a.m. to watch the SJSU-Boise State game?
Fortunately, no. The Spartans love to start their Saturday games smack dab in the middle of Dragonball Z, but they won't have the luxury of catching the Broncos mid-Pop Tart this year. The two teams face off on a Friday night ESPN2 telecast. Guess we'll have to tape the Bill Engvall Show.

Tell me a joke.
What do the San Jose State offensive line and George O'Leary's resume have in common? Both are unreliable and full of holes.

Is Yonus Davis the first person in the history of football to miss an entire season due to a sprained ankle?
Yes, probably. Davis suffered the injury on the Spartans' first offensive play last season, and he was barely heard from again. His final numbers: 3 carries, 1 yard, 500 rolls of Ace bandage. Davis was awarded a sixth year of eligibility, giving him one more chance to run over WAC defenses and call dibs on the rehab hot tub. Tommy Boy quote!

Tommy: You know, a lot of people go to college for six years.
Richard: I know. They're called doctors.

Over/Unders
+/- 76 Times Kevin Jurovich is wide open and nobody sees him
+/- 4 How many games it takes for us to regret picking Jeff Schweiger as WAC defensive player of the year
+/- 10 SJSU third-down conversion percentage

Recognizing what went wrong last year should help the Spartans creep back toward moderate respectability. An easier schedule should help (Hey there, San Diego State!). The return of Yonus Davis won't hurt (not the last time you'll see "hurt" and "Yonus" in the same sentence this season). And the addition of impact transfers on offense and defense should make a difference.

Still, unless the Spartans have plans to upset one of the top teams in the WAC, they will continue to tow the line just above awful, just below talented, and all over ordinary.

Perfect situation:
Stanford and Nebraska forfeit their non-conference games, Kevin Jurovich grows six inches and learns to throw go routes to himself, Jeff Schweiger becomes an All-American, and San Jose State goes to a bowl other than the New Mexico Bowl.

Reality:
The San Jose offense struggles with a new quarterback and porous offensive line, the defense guts out wins over San Diego State and Hawaii, the Spartans get to 6-3 before losing their final three games, and Dick Tomey's lobbying for a New Mexico Bowl berth falls on deaf ears.

Final record:
6-6 overall, 4-4 conference

Tuesday: Links with predictions

2008-07-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

Story of the day:

RB Ian Johnson tops in the WAC? [ESPN.com]

ESPN's Graham Watson posed an interesting question on her blog yesterday: Is Ian Johnson the WAC's best running back? If Watson knows, then she's not telling as her story politely skirted the issue with open-ended statements, facts, and Johnson quotes.

But is he the best running back in a stacked WAC?

"I've seen a lot of these guys and you look at (Nevada's Luke) Lippincott and all the guys from La Tech and even the guys from Fresno, these guys are very different running backs from myself," Johnson said during WAC Media Days last week.

Johnson was the best running back in the WAC during his glory year in 2006 and was even considered a darkhorse for the Heisman Trophy. But those numbers trailed off last season as Johnson was plagued with injuries.

We live in a black-and-white world, so this article, with all its grayness and ambiguity, was hard to deal with. The answer, in our opinion, is clear: Ian Johnson is not the WAC's best running back. He lost that title last year when he struggled with injuries and effectiveness. Let the angry emails fly.

Remember, Johnson was not very good at times last year, and Bronco Nation openly questioned what was wrong with him. Sure, he is saying all the right things and doing all the right things this offseason, and to be honest, we are confident that he will regain the mantle of WAC's top running back this season. But in the meantime, we feel he is no longer the top dog.

There, Graham Watson. We said it.

Other links:

Dan Gore cut by Dolphins [Scott Slant]

We guess Miami liked losing last year more than they thought

Utah State bringing down Utah's schedule [ESPN.com]
The Aggies get replaced by Notre Dame. Boise State would do the same if it could.

Another vote for Kellen Moore [Bleacher Report]
Bush Hamdan not available for comment.

Rivals' countdown reaches No. 3 [Rivals.com]
USC and Georgia still to come--most likely in that order.

Recap of rule changes [Rivals.com]
Clock changes may shorten games from 3 hours, 45 minutes to 3 hours, 40 minutes.

Life Coach: did somebody say Lagoon?

2008-07-28T13:15:00.000-06:00

The Life Coach believes that there are no stupid questions, just stupid Vandal fans who ask questions. His purpose is to shepherd Bronco Nation to the calm waters of illumination, guiding them through their perfunctory problems with grace, flair, and competent advice. Got a question for the Life Coach? Email him at OneBroncoNationUnderGod@gmail.com.

Life Coach,
I heard the WAC media convention was in Salt Lake City this year. How much time do you think the journalists spent at Lagoon?
Snoopy in Silverwood

Half to two-thirds. Unless you have a specific reason for being in Salt Lake – and the WAC media convention is not a real reason – then you will spend most of your time at Lagoon. I mean, for real – what’s not to like? There are rides, carnival games, candy apples, and Mormon hotties. Lagoon is the Disneyland of the Great Salt Basin – minus the cleanliness and joy.

But I hear that that weekend is going to be “Lagoon: Get WACd!” Journalists are going to go crazy.

Life Coach,
In regards to new Bronco radio color guy Jadon Dailey, should it matter that he has as much announcing experience as I do?
Sincerely, guy who has never announced anything ever

It only matters when he messes up. Anytime he makes a mistake or isn’t funny or spot-on with a comment – we will all say to each other, “Man, how old is this guy? I could do this way better than this little kid, respectively.” But if he is awesome, then we will all be like, “It is great having a fresh perspective in the booth. This guy is so much better than David Augusto!"

So should it matter that Jadon Dailey has as much announcing experience as you do? Only time will tell…

Life Coach,
I am a Boise state alum and citizen of Bronco Nation who unfortunately had to leave our beloved state capitol to pursue a graduate degree at Idaho State University. I can see the Idaho State football team practice through the windows of my classes and can't help but weep at the thought that I have to wait another month until I can watch Boise State smear them across the new Blue field turf. I was wondering... since it was brought to my attention that Boise state is supposed to beat Idaho State by like 44 points (according to some odds wizards out there), is that a good thing or a bad thing? I mean, if we win by 43, did we let everyone down? Should we hang our heads in shame if we only beat Idaho State by 6 touchdowns? Please put this in perspective for me.
Perplexed in Pocatello

First of all, this is a great problem to have. I remember the worries of BSU fans used to be a lot scarier when we were getting our you-know-what's handed to us by South Carolina and Arkansas and almost every Big Sky team. So if we keep this in perspective – really, it is not a problem at all.

But, on a personal note, if we only win by 43, we should count that as a moral loss because Idaho State will be counting that as a moral victory.

And now that we are good, we hate moral victories.

Monday: Links with experience

2008-07-28T08:00:00.002-06:00

Story of the day:

WAC coaches favor, ignore early signing period [Statesman]

Much has been made of the proposal of an early signing period for college football. Strangely enough, even the WAC seems interested

"I'm 100 percent for it," Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley said. "You would save some money so you don't have to keep seeing guys and babysit and prevent the negative recruiting that comes after a commitment. It would prevent (other) schools from getting in and trying to confuse and manipulate."

The news is strange considering that there have been hardly any early commitments in the conference outside of the nine from Boise State. What difference would an early signing period make then? Do WAC schools enjoy not meeting deadlines? Are they in a rush to be turned down? Are they hoping impressionable high school kids would be more akin to bad decisions earlier in the year?

Of course, not everyone is thrilled about an early signing period, although the issue with this particular program might be its anathema to recruiting in general.

"I still like to evaluate kids during their senior year," Utah State coach Brent Guy said. "I want to see a guy get better from his junior to senior year and keep improving. I wouldn't use it."

Adding, "I hardly use the one we have now!"

Other links:

Clady's contract worth $17.5 million [AP]
$11.5 in guarantees, one wild night at Six Flags Denver.

BSU schedule featured on Wiz of Odds [Wizard of Odds]
Complete with predictable Ian Johnson age joke.

NFL-caliber Boise State QBs [BNN]
Forget who's starting! Who's third-string NFL material?

Fresno State wants to go to the BCS [Honolulu Advertiser]
Aw, they're jealous.

Oregon suspends starting linebacker [Yahoo! Sports]
Nate Potter breathes sigh of relief.

LaTech loses four players [ESPN.com]
Suspension, academics, transferring, indifference to LaTech football.

WAC has work to do [Statesman]
Breaking news: Idaho not pulling its weight.

Headlines from WAC media convention

2008-07-25T14:00:00.001-06:00

With the WAC Football Preview (motto: "What happens in Salt Lake, stays in Salt Lake") out of the way, we can finally turn our thoughts toward the start of the college football season. Not that we weren't already anyway.

The media convention was a typical, predictable yakfest between obliging players and coaches and opportunistic media members, but that's not to say that it wasn't without some interesting stories.

Here are some of the highlights:

Boise State tidbits

Ian Johnson = media dreamboat

The most popular player in Salt Lake City was Boise State RB Ian Johnson. The buzz around Johnson wasn't quite at the level of last year's convo, which had extra hype due to the Fiesta Bowl win. Still, he provided plenty of good quotes, and several media outlets were able to cull somewhat original stories from the interviews.

No insurance policy against injury

Johnson has chosen not to follow the financial footsteps of previous college stars in taking out an insurance policy to protect against a career-ending injury. Here's hoping that US Bank savings account holds up!

Kickoff return duties are his

"The secret's out," Johnson said, smiling.
Worst kept secret ever.

Speaking in third person; OBNUG likes

“It’s definitely not as crazy,” Johnson said. “It’s been great because it’s given me time to focus on the couple issues I have — being a great husband and being the best Ian Johnson I can be for the upcoming season.”

Ian Johnson believes in Ian Johnson

"I'm going to step up and I'm going to put this team on my back," Johnson said Thursday at the WAC football media preview. " I've gotten myself ready to take the hits for a full season and to be a punishing back for a full season. The fact that I have guys biting at my heels, I've got to prove that I am better than them and that they can't just come out and play without us skipping a beat."

Could have played in Hawaii Bowl

Apparently, he told the coaches he was healthy enough to play. Let the conspiracy theories begin!
"They never asked the question (whether I could play), my number was never called," Ian Johnson said. "I told them at the beginning of the game that I was ready... I try not to show too much emotion. It was a call that was made for the team and if you feel the best way to go is someone else I can be a little angry but I'm going to accept it."

Coach Pete's cryptic analysis of Johnson

"One of the things that's probably going to help Ian is the depth that we have at that position," Petersen said. "We don't have to play him every down and hopefully get him to last the season and also to be pushed a little bit by some of these other guys that we have."

Taking the Taylor Tharp approach to QB competition

The Boise State coaches learned their lesson last year about not jumping to conclusions in the search for a starting quarterback.

“It worked for us before to be patient and work this thing out,” Petersen said. If by "worked out," you are referring solely to the New Mexico State game, then yes.

No Jeremy Childs news until August 4, so stop asking!

"I'll still say the same thing (about Childs)," Petersen said. "When we get back, we'll see. If everything checks out when we get back on the fourth, then he's a go. We'll probably put that whole thing to rest on the fourth."

Mike T. Williams not as popular as Ian Johnson

Photographic proof here.

WAC rivals tidbits

Colin Kaepernick to start at Nevada

"There is no quarterback controversy at the University of Nevada,” said Wolfpack head coach Chris Ault, obviously referring to the fact that Kaepernick could hardly be defined as a "quarterback." According to Ault, the skinny-legged "Kap" has some work to do in order to become a polished product, especially in the "noun" area. “Last year, he was a thrower, not a passer,” Ault said.

Taylor Bennett forgot to transfer his skills

The fate of the Louisiana Tech program rests in the hands of Georgia Tech transfer QB Taylor Bennett. Someone might want to let him know.

Sophomore Ross Jenkins emerged from spring practice as the starting quarterback, with Bennett as the backup. Perhaps the ACC is a lot worse than we anticipated.

SJSU excited about RB, oblivious to expectations

San Jose State, one of several mediocre teams purported to make a push in the WAC this year, received good news when former starter Yonus Davis was granted a sixth year of eligibility...and immediately started printing WAC champion T-shirts.

Holbrook confuses bulking up with Carl's Jr

New Mexico State quarterback Chase Holbrook wanted to add some weight this offseason to be able to absorb the hits he'll take this year. Mission very accomplished.

Holbrook will weigh in at 245 pounds this season. Maybe the motivational Jared Lorenzen wall poster wasn't the best choice.

Utah State embraces idea of depth

Even if the wins don't come this year for Utah State, at least their players will be less tired. The Aggies had little more than 50 players in total last season, but thanks to the recruiting prowess of Brent Guy ("We have XBox!"), Utah State will be able to field a full roster. Not necessarily a good roster, but a full one.

Greg McMackin has not watched the NFL for years

ESPN.com's Graham Watson made the mistake of assuming Hawaii head coach Greg McMackin follows football. Her bad.

GW: So you're going to play DB Ryan Mouton on offense. What went into that decision?
GM: He's so quick. He's got God-given quickness. He's a big playmaker. I just really like him. He's a big-play guy. He ran a kickoff back, he ran a touchdown back on defense, and we can just throw out a screen and let him do his thing.
GW: Is he in the Devin Hester-type mold?
GM: Who?
GW: The guy from Chicago? Uh, how about Deion Sanders?
GM: Oh, yeah, like Deion Sanders.

Sources

Ryan Clady signs with Broncos, has newfound riches

2008-07-25T12:38:00.002-06:00

Former Boise State OT Ryan Clady has signed with the Denver Broncos, according to the Idaho Statesman.

The deal is believed to be worth $20 million over six years and was completed in time for the Boise State star to join the team’s first workout.

Last year's 12th overall pick, RB Marshawn Lynch, received a five-year, $19 million deal.

Training camp for the Broncos (the Denver ones) began today.

Denver Broncos sign Clady [Statesman]

Friday: Links with regret

2008-07-25T08:00:00.004-06:00

We'll recap the WAC media convention later today. Lots of good things to learn.

Story of the day:

Coach Pete reveals roster updates [Statesman]

At the WAC media convention yesterday, Coach Pete had a veritable laundry list of roster turnover to discuss, including some disappointing news about two potentially exciting recruits.

Linebacker Jack Sula of Carson, Calif., told the Broncos staff that he will not join the team because of family issues, Petersen said.

Van Drumgoole of Vallivue High, a speedy wide receiver, plans to attend a junior college instead of Boise State to improve his academic record, Petersen said. The Broncos had planned to grayshirt him.

Petersen also said that OL Paul Lucariello's BSU career is over due to medical reasons, and DL Phillip Edwards and DL Kapono Rawlins-Crivello will not be returning to the team. Spencer Gerke, an incoming will recruit, will be the only one to grayshirt out of the incoming class.

There was no word on WR Jeremy Childs, and there was even less of a word on the starting quarterback.

Other links:

USA Today picks Boise State [USA Today]
And if USA Today says it, it must be true.

Alex Guerrero returns home [Fight Fight BSU]
The afl2 playoff chase is so on!

SJSU player arrested, keeps scholarship [ESPN.com]
Probably because no one else wanted it.

Dinwiddie's reign over CFL begins [Winnipeg Sun]
450 yards passing? Game-winning touchdown? Sounds like Dinwiddie to us.

The name says it all [Holbrook4Heisman]
Thanks for the tip, Graham Watson. Or rather, no thanks.

Oregon picked third in Pac-10 [ESPN.com]
One more reason to be scared.

Coach Pete press conference audio

2008-07-24T13:15:00.003-06:00

Coach Pete will be speaking at the WAC media convention starting at 1:30 this afternoon. Possible topics of discussion include:

QB situation
Current two-game losing streak
Jeremy Childs
How the buffet was

We'll update this post with the audio/video of the press conference once it becomes available on WACSports.com. We are nothing if not freeloaders. Check back here in a little bit.

Update: Dave Southorn has posted his notes at his IPT blog. Still waiting for the audio/video.

Update2: Here is the link to the audio/video:

Coach Pete press conference

New Mexico State media stumps for Tadman

2008-07-24T09:30:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, we joked about including Marty Tadman in the discussion for preseason WAC defensive player of the year. The New Mexico State media? Not joking.

The preseason picks for offensive and defensive players of the year should be announced later today. We voted for Chase Holbrook for offensive player of the year and Boise State's Marty Tadman for defensive player of the year.

Here's a close-up image of their selection.

Tadman lost to Hawaii's Solomon Elimimian, who is still an active player.

Preseason Football Poll Update [Bleed Crimson]

Update: This was not a typo. These guys actually voted for Marty Tadman.

Thursday: Links with technology

2008-07-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

Story of the day:

Karl Benson's state of the WAC [ESPN.com]

In his press conference at the WAC media days yesterday, commissioner Karl Benson had plenty of good things to say about the recent success of the WAC and the high national profile that the conference has earned over the past few years. The only thing that could bring down his good times? Idaho, Utah State, and NMSU.

"We need to get better at the bottom of the league," Benson said. "There are 120 FBS programs and we've had teams in the hundreds, and those teams need to get better. It has an impact on the teams in the top half in terms of BCS standings."

Besides those three black sheep, Benson was pleased with the conference's progress. And he always loves a good MWC ribbing.

"The WAC has re-established itself as the second-most recognized conference in the West behind the Pac-10," Benson said. "It wasn't intended to compare the WAC to the Mountain West. The WAC is well-grounded, well-established and continues to perform at a high level."

Benson did not confirm an ESPN TV deal, but he did promise better officiating and a concerted effort to keep anyone from using the term "non-BCS conference" ever again. Good luck with that.

Other links:

Broncos will speak this afternoon [WAC Sports]
Ian Johnson, Mike Williams, and Coach Pete on the mic.

Notes from WAC media days [Press-Tribune]
Shirtless Idaho players? We're kind of glad we're not there.

Media votes Colorado seventh-best Big XII team [Big12 Sports]
Dan Hawkins wonders if BSU will take him back.

The Sugar Bowl did more harm than good [Salt Lake Tribune]
"Hawaii debacle" is a pretty strong headline.

Coach Pete conquers Blue Angels [Statesman]
Not blowing chunks in an 800 mph airplane is quite the achievement.

Ian Johnson weight update [Dave's Blog]
He's at 207. Update your Excel spreadsheet accordingly.

Honest, biased preseason WAC standings

2008-07-23T13:15:00.001-06:00

Yesterday: preseason WAC players of the year
Today: preseason WAC poll
Tomorrow: a nap

The WAC media and coaches have released their picks for conference favorites, and now it is time to reveal ours. As is always the case, our preseason poll has an unconventional look to it, and plenty of bias and passive-aggressive anger went into the picks. Feel free to tell us how badly we botched things.

1. Boise State
We see them going undefeated and winning the national championship, which is probably why we weren't invited to the WAC media convention.
2. Nevada
Why are we giving Nevada respect? Beats us, but we do see them winning six conference games
3. Fresno State
We'd be surprised if anyone else had the Bulldogs this low, but if there's a way for Fresno to screw the pooch in conference play, they'll find it. We imagine it's hiding under the guise of a road game at LaTech.
4. Louisiana Tech
Speaking of LaTech, the Bulldogs may show flashes of a program on the rise this season. However, they will also show flashes of LaTech.
5. San Jose State
If the Spartans win in Hawaii in September, they could certainly finish here. If they don't, then we will never trust them with anything again.
6. Hawaii
The Warriors may surprise us, or they may completely implode under the shaky hand of Tyler Graunke and the deer-in-the-headlights stare of Greg McMackin. We're betting on the latter.
7. Idaho
The Vandals are a poorly-coached, undisciplined, talentless football team. That's good enough for seventh place in the WAC.
8. Utah State
Happy trails, Brent Guy. Pick up your parting gift at Deseret Industries on your way out.
9. New Mexico State
Finishing below Idaho and Utah State is no easy task, but considering that the Aggies lost at home last year to USU and get both of the teams on the road this season, we're confident they are up to the challenge. Catch the Hal Mumme fever!

Robb Akey on the mic at WAC media convention

2008-07-23T12:30:00.000-06:00

Enjoy. Or don't.

Robb Akey press conference

Coaches, commissioner speak...[WACSports.com]

Wednesday: Links with dread

2008-07-23T10:15:00.000-06:00

The WAC preseason picks are out. Click here for the results. (Spoiler alert: the good guys win.)

Story of the day:

Boise State making play for MWC? [Review Journal]

For awhile now, it seems like the Broncos have been exploring options on how to get out of the WAC. Their latest accomplice may be...the Humanitarian Bowl?

The Mountain West could send a team to that game this season if the Atlantic Coast Conference fails to qualify an eighth bowl team, but a deal would be for a guaranteed spot in 2009 for the No. 5 MWC team. MWC commissioner Craig Thompson didn't deny Boise State might use the bowl as a means to gain admission into the Mountain West.

What strange bedfellows. Boise State and the H-Bowl have a tenuous history, mostly because BSU treats the home game as a fall-back option, not unlike our dating history in high school. "Well, if the Hawaii Bowl asks us out, then we're going, but I guess we could always play mini golf with the H-Bowl if all else fails." We love mini golf.

Not sure how everyone is making the presumption that a MWC team in the H-Bowl means Boise State is making a play to join the conference. From what we can tell, the Broncos might have more incentive to stay home and face a MWC team (ugh, Wyoming again?) to prove that they belong with Mountain West teams.

It's worth following to say the least, but we'd rather the Broncos be looking for subversive ways to join the Pac-10.

Other links:

Tim Brady on cover of media guide [Press-Tribune]
Sorry, Brock Jaramillo. Maybe next year.

Colt Brennan blogs Colt Brennan-ness [Redskins.com]
Thanks, Warriors Will Throw. We appreciate the extra ammunition.

The Bronco Nation podcast is big time [BNN]
Voting FSU ahead of BSU in preseason polls, however, is not big time.

Sporting News' Boise State preview [Sporting News]
#33 in the country: we'll take that.

Interesting stats on the WAC [Sporting Network]
An original WAC preview. How refreshing.

Statesman's preview of media days [Statesman]
Brent Guy rationalizing his career record should be fun.

Chase Holbrook, Heisman candidate [Reno Gazette-Journal]
We just threw up in our mouth a little.

Interesting take on mid-majors [Sunday Morning Quarterback]
Kudos to blogger journalism.

Idaho State may not even be competitive in Big Sky [ISZ]
Merril Hoge sheds a tear.

Broncos picked first, Johnson picked best

2008-07-23T07:44:00.004-06:00

Take that, Fresno State. In your face, Chase Holbrook.

The Broncos were chosen by the WAC media to finish first in the conference, and Ian Johnson was named the WAC's preseason offensive player of the year at the WAC media convention in Salt Lake City.

Boise State received 383 points and 25 first-place votes from media members around the WAC and the nation. Fresno State was picked a close second after garnering 379 points and 20 first-place votes.

Here are the official standings for the media poll.

Boise State (383)
Fresno State (379)
Nevada (296)
Hawaii (243)
Louisiana Tech (209)
San Jose State (183)
New Mexico State (167)
Idaho (87)
Utah State (78)

The coaches had Fresno State on top, but what do coaches know? Okay, they know more than we will ever forget. The Bulldogs got seven first place votes from the conference coaches, and Boise State got the remaining two.

Ian Johnson and Hawaii LB Solomon Elimimian were voted as the players of the year for the conference. Johnson is without a doubt the face of the WAC, considering his success in the Fiesta Bowl season and his national notoriety, but NMSU QB Holbrook could have just as easily duped the media into picking him.

We're actually a little surprised that the Broncos were chosen to finish first. We have heard everyone and their mother tout the greatness of the Bulldogs this upcoming season, and we figured that the media would think the same. They have obviously skipped the Fresno Kool-Aid in favor of Boise State coffee and Red Bull.

In lieu of this really early announcement (what are they doing awake this early?), we'll run the daily links later this morning.

Broncos picked first... [Bronco Sports]

Far out predictions for preseason WAC awards

2008-07-22T13:15:00.002-06:00

Today: Preseason WAC players of the year
Tomorrow: Preseason conference standings
Thursday: a nap

The official preseason players of the year in the WAC will be revealed in the next couple days, and they are sure to reek of predictability and groupthink. Ian Johnson, anyone?

Our picks are a little different. We know from experience that a college football season rarely plays out as planned, which is why we've done our best to think outside of the box with preseason prognosticating. Does Chadd Cripe know any better than we do about what will happen this season? Of course not.Will his ballot reflect a stuffy assuredness of safe answers and false modesty? We hope not.

To be sure, we know the right answers to the preseason players of the year questions; they are obviously outlined in every preview magazine on the shelves. However, we stand by our decisions for players of the year, and we're more than happy to eat crow when things start falling apart in Week Three.

So without further ado, here are the picks:

OBNUG's preseason WAC defensive player of the year

Jeff Schweiger, San Jose State DE

Who? What? Are San Jose State linemen even eligible? These same questions ran through our heads, too, but we put peer pressure and good sense aside and went with Schweiger anyway.

Perhaps a little background would help: Schweiger is a 6'5", 255-pound transfer from USC. He owned SJSU's spring practice, and he was so good that 2007 all-WAC DE Jarron Gilbert has moved inside to tackle. Obviously, Pac-10 competition is a step above WAC play, so we're expecting Schweiger to really be an animal this fall. San Jose State is supposed to be one of several strong WAC defensive teams, and Schweiger will be the reason.

Don't let us down, Jeff Schweiger. Although, from a San Jose State Spartan, we may be asking the impossible.

What the media will say: Solomon Elimimian or Adam Leonard, Hawaii LBs

Other candidates we considered: Ryan Winterswyk, Derrell Acrey, Jake Hutton, David Veikune, Moses Harris, Elimimian, Leonard, Marty Tadman

OBNUG's preseason WAC offensive player of the year

Nick Graziano, Nevada QB

The Nevada Wolfpack have tangible hype going into the season, which could be dashed in an instant by a 4-for-26 Colin Kaepernick quarterbacking performance.

The funny thing is that you probably didn't even flinch at the absurdity of those numbers. Kaepernick completing one-sixth of his passes is a very real possibility, and thusly Kaepernick finding the bench is just as plausible. When it happens, we could see former starter Graziano stepping in and saving the Pack's season.

He'll have a wonderful running back behind him in Luke Lippincott. The offensive line will be solid. He'll have every chance to put up big numbers, and he could bring stability to an offense that will become fairly predictable once Kaepernick starts breaking the pocket immediately on passing plays. You may be thinking, "Then why not pick Lippincott for player of the year?" Because we're idiots. But only time will tell.

FYI: We were thisclose to picking Idaho RB Deonte Jackson, but we couldn't bring ourselves to openly support anything that has to do with the Vandals or anyone who shares a backfield with Nathan Enderle.

What the media will say: Ian Johnson, Boise State RB

Other candidates we considered: Jackson, Malcolm Lane, Ian Johnson, Titus Young, Ryan Mathews, Taylor Bennett, Lippincott, Ryan Dinwiddie

What do you guys think? Who would get your vote? Do you agree with our picks? Are we idiots? Actually, don't answer that last one.

Tuesday: Links with stardom

2008-07-22T08:00:00.002-06:00

Story of the day:

Boise State radio details [Idaho Radio News]

For those still curious as to how the whole Peak/KBOI/BSU radio deal went down, Don Day at Idaho Radio News has the details. The report from IRN is vast and impressive, giving insight into virtually every aspect of the dealings. We were particularly interested to hear about the "inappropriate overtures."

BSU president Bob Kustra mentioned several “overtures” on behalf of groups that wanted “this contract very badly.” He told the board that no back-channel requests ever came from Peak. But clearly someone at Citadel did something that Kustra thought to be improper.

“It’s particularly distressing that we bent over backwards to be fair, to be objective and to ignore some overtures that I think that were improper,” he said.

We imagine those overtures to be Magic 93.1's free Rhianna tickets.

The whole story is a good read, and we would suggest checking it out. Day put in some good work to get those details (200 pages of documents, emails, records, and a dozen Red Bulls), and you can tell from the final product.

Other links:

Channel 2 belongs to J Bates [J's Blog]
Well, at least the sports department and Wayne Dzubak.

WAC media day schedule [WACSports]
Plan your day around the Akey news conference.

Behler's competition for the job [Idaho Radio News]
Is there anything Don Day can't do?

The Mountain West media go to Vegas [ESPN.com]
The WAC media burn with jealousy from their Salt Lake City hotel rooms sans cable TV.

Unique photo collage of BSU QB race [Odd Waffles]
Nick Lomax, we hardly recognized you.

Salt Lake City braces for WAC media

2008-07-21T16:00:00.003-06:00

The WAC media convention is nearly upon us. Starting tomorrow, media members from WAC cities across the country will meet in Salt Lake City for three days of interviews, buffets, and Sugar Bowl jokes. Sounds like fun, right Will Hoenike?

We think it sounds like fun. However, being excited about a media convention is not enough to get invited to a media convention, and as such, we will be following along from the comfort of our office chair and gigantic, old Dell monitor. Too bad because we had always wanted to tour the Mormon Temple with Chase Holbrook and Luke Lippincott.

The media will be releasing their picks for players of the year and conference champion, and there will gads of interviews that will lead to gads of Honolulu Advertiser feature stories. As for the Statesman, we'll be curious to see if they marry the idea of all-day football news and blogging. There's a first time for everything.

Other things that we're excited about:

Kellen Moore coming up in conversation entirely too often.
Colin Kaepernick crashing the party.
Hawaii coach Greg McMackin drinking his weight in Coke.
The Marriott running out of continental breakfast and every column mentioning it in his WAC media days article.
Whether or not San Jose State bothers to show up.
Hearing Robb Akey use the word "family."
Living vicariously through Dave Southorn's blog.
Mormon Keno.

Who do you think will be the players of the year? What will the conference standings look like? Who is your pick to win the WAC? Let us know by leaving a comment or sending us an email. We'll reveal our answers to those questions over the next couple days, and we'll keep you updated on all the other WAC media convention news.

Dinwiddie takes over in Winnipeg

2008-07-21T13:15:00.000-06:00

Out with Kevin Glenn; in with Ryan Dinwiddie.

Last year's East Division most oustanding player, Glenn has fallen from grace in Winnipeg rather swiftly, and Dinwiddie is in the right place at the right time. Dinwiddie will get the start on Thursday for the Blue Bombers, and even if it takes him awhile to get settled, it sounds like Winnipeg will not be going back to Glenn any time soon.

Head coach Doug Berry said Thursday's game isn't a one-game trial for Dinwiddie, either. He's the No. 1 quarterback until further notice.

Winnipeg is 0-4, and much of the blame is being placed on Glenn's shoulders.

"I don't think I've played perfect football up until now," he said.

You think? To be specific, Glenn has played the worst football in the CFL. His efficiency rating is 65.9, which is worst in the league. He has thrown eight interceptions, which is worst in the league. Dinwiddie will be a revelation by comparison.

Reaction from Winnipeg fans has been highly encouraging. An OBNUG reader and Winnipeg resident, who alerted us to the story, is thrilled to have Dinwiddie starting, and judging by the Blue Bomber message boards, other fans are looking forward to a change under center, too.

listen to Ryan Dinwiddie. hes confident, he's a field general, his attitude seems to be contagious, heck just listening to RD there, makes me cant wait until thursday. God i hope its nice out

...and...

this might be the spark they need.

GO DINWIDDIE GO!

Now if we could only get Brock Forsey in the backfield.

Dinwiddie takes helm [Winnipeg Sun]
Bombers message board [BlueBombers.com]

Monday: Links with officiating

2008-07-21T08:00:00.002-06:00

We'll have some exciting Ryan Dinwiddie news later today. What other kind is there, right?

Story of the day:

Idaho fan resents ESPN's "winless" remark [ESPN.com]

ESPN's newest non-BCS blogger, Graham Watson, suggested last week that the Vandals would go winless this season. Sounds like he knows his non-BCS football.

Watson made his prediction fully expecting the wrath of Vandal fans to rain down upon him. Instead, he got propositioned from a guy in Seattle.

Dan in Seattle writes: Hey Graham Watson, You challenged us Vandals fans to "let the emails fly." In light of your unfounded prediction that the 2008 Vandals will NOT WIN A GAME (and keeping with the relatively non-inciting tone in which it was registered), I propose a little more. How about a straightforward, even odds bet to back up that fearless prediction? Up to $500.

Watson didn't bite, but we imagine that Robb Akey would. Five hundred bucks could buy a lot of Just for Men mustache coloring.

The only way we see Idaho not going winless is beating Idaho State in Moscow. However, Seattle Dan seems to think there are other wins on the schedule, too.

Come on. WINLESS?? Multiple win-able conference games aside...

We'll stop you there. Apart from maybe Utah State (who, if you'll remember right, beat the Vandals last year), there are pretty much no games that Idaho is expected to win in the WAC. Maybe things will be different come midseason, or maybe pigs will fly through frozen hell. We're not holding our breath for either.

Other links:

The south end zone will be closed someday [Statesman]
What's another 20 million dollars?

$2500 per person for seats in the Mothership [Statesman]
Has BSU gone corporate?

Boise State preview [FOXSports.com]
Yes, 10-3 is a disappointment.

Scanned version of Boise State's Phil Steele preview [Boise state football news]
Now if we could just get the other 150 pages scanned, we'd be in business.

Only a month and a half left to bet [Wizard of Odds]
Week One lines from around college football

Reggie Larry update [Warriors.com]

Four minutes, zero points in finale of summer league

Interesting picks from Las Cruces newspaper [Daily Herald]

NMSU ahead of Hawaii? Favoritism!

Karl Benson interview [Statesman]
Brian Murphy is the new Larry King.

Baseball not in BSU's future [Press-Tribune]
Stupid Title IX.

Going camping: Broncos in the pros Part II (NFC edition)

2008-07-18T13:15:00.001-06:00

image courtesy of Inside the Iggles

Before we get into the NFC part of our training camp preview, allow us the following aside.

Remember the days when the Chicago Bears used to be a bastion for BSU alumni? Both Brock Forsey and Ryan Dinwiddie were once on the roster, but neither were able to stick. Timing is everything. Today, the Bears are struggling to find both a go-to running back and a reason not to have Rex Grossman any more. What we wouldn't pay to rip a hole in the space-time continuum and have Forsey and Dinwiddie get one more shot.

Without further ado, here are the Boise State players on NFC training camp rosters. (The AFC list can be found here.)

S Quintin Mikell, Philadelphia Eagles
Other Philadelphia Eagles safeties: Sean Considine, Quintin Demps, J.R. Reed, Marcus Paschal
Camp starts: Monday (rookies), Thursday (veterans), Bethlehem PA
Link: Rockford Register: Take that, Sean Considine!

Outlook: Mikell's strong effort in place of Considine last year has him atop the depth chart going into training camp. Mikell doesn't get the same local love as other successful BSU players, but he has quietly put together a fine career. More importantly, we are finally able to remember which one is Quintin and which one is David.

DT Kimo von Oelhoffen, Philadelphia Eagles
Other Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackles: Brodrick Bunkley, Dan Klecko, Trevor Laws, Mike Patterson, Montae Reagor
Camp starts: Monday (rookies), Thursday (veterans), Bethlehem PA
Link: Bleacher Report: not everyone's a Kimo fan.

Outlook: Yes, von Oelhoffen is old. Yes, von Oelhoffen recorded only two tackles last year. But von Oelhoffen is an NFL veteran with experience, and he makes Andy Reid look thin by association. Therefore, Kimo stays. At least until the first round of cuts. Then he's probably gone.

CB Orlando Scandrick, Dallas Cowboys
Other Dallas Cowboys cornerbacks: Terence Newman, Adam Jones, Mike Jenkins, Anthony Henry, Alan Ball, Quincy Butler, Tyler Everett, Evan Oglesby, Jerron Wishom
Camp starts: Thursday, Oxnard CA
Link: Dallas Morning News: Scandrick switched agent to get contract done

Outlook: Scandrick will find a place on the Cowboys, even though their secondary is loaded. Fortunately, Newman is injury-prone, Jones is stripper-prone, and Henry is bound to be moved to safety, so there may be opportunity for Scandrick to move up and make an impact. At any rate, special teams will be glad to have him.

FB Korey Hall, Green Bay Packers
Other Green Bay Packers fullbacks: John Kuhn, Corey White, Ryan Powdrell
Camp starts: 7/27, Green Bay WI
Link: Press-Gazette: plenty of depth at fullback

Outlook: Hall was very impressive in his rookie season last year, yet the Packers still come into camp with four fullbacks on the roster. Four! Kuhn and Hall were last season's starters and did a fine job, so who knows why Powdrell and White are present. Looks like Hall will have to earn his job again, which shouldn't be a problem.

OG Daryn Colledge, Green Bay Packers
Other Green Bay Packers tackles: Ryan Keenan, Cameron Stephenson, Josh Sitton, Jason Spitz, Junius Coston
Camp starts: 7/27, Green Bay WI
Link: Press-Gazette: Packers are favorites, guards are competitive

Outlook: Colledge started most of the season last year after being in and out of the starting lineup his rookie season. He'll again be battling Spitz and Coston for a starting spot, but he seems to be getting better every year so a starting spot should be expected.

S Gerald Alexander, Detroit Lions
Other Detroit Lions safeties: Dwight Smith, Greg Blue, Daniel Bullocks, Kalvin Pearson
Camp starts: Wednesday, Allen Park MI
Link: Michigan Live: Alexander versus Bullocks at strong safety

Outlook: Alexander probably surprised many people with his ascension to a starting rookie safety with the Lions. He looks to have a bright future with the team. And, yes, that may be the only time that "bright future" is mentioned in regards to the Detroit Lions.

WR Jerard Rabb, San Francisco 49ers
Other San Francisco 49ers receivers: Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie, Arnaz Battle, Isaac Bruce, Cameron Colvin, Jason Hill, Robert Jordan, Josh Morgan, Dominique Zeigler
Camp starts: 7/24, Santa Clara CA
Link: 49ers website: big battle for final roster spot

Outlook: Rabb stuck with the practice squad last season, and he'll have his work cut out for him to make the roster this summer. The 49ers are full of medium-tier wide receivers, so Rabb will at least have a good shot at breaking through. Plus, with Mike Martz as O-coordinator, the 49ers could very well be in 5-WR sets fairly often.

TE Jeb Putzier, Seattle Seahawks
Other Seattle Seahawks tight ends: John Carlson, Will Heller, Zac Alcorn, Joe Newton
Camp starts: 7/22, 7/24, Kirkland WA
Link: Sporting News: Carlson outplayed by vets

Outlook: Putzier has experience on his side in the battle for starting tight end. Though the Seahawks might like to see rookie Carlson get the job, Putzier and Heller may be better options to start the season. At any rate, there will be probably be ample TE rotating, so Putzier should see the field often.

Friday: Links with extracurriculars

2008-07-18T08:00:00.003-06:00

Story of the day:

Get rich on the Broncos [Scott Slant]

No, Tom Scott was not condoning gambling on his daily blog, er, column, er, slant. But he might as well have been.

Las Vegas oddsmakers have come out with their over-under predictions on team wins for 2008. They have Boise State at 9.5 and Fresno State at 8.5. So it's 9-3 or 10-2 for the Broncos, the way they see it (or the way they want you to bet on it).

The Broncos have won fewer than 10 games exactly once in the past six years, so you would think that taking the "over" would be easy money.

Well, let's look at the Broncos' schedule. Losing one non-conference game and one WAC game would still put the Broncos at 10 wins, which would be enough for the "over." If Boise State beats Oregon (which we believe in our heart of hearts they will), the Broncos would have to lose to a combination of Southern Miss, Fresno State, and Nevada to fall below the 10-win threshold.

If we were a betting man, our savings would be so out of the bank right now.

Other links:

Scandrick signs with Cowboys [Dallas Morning-News]
Four years, $1.89 million doesn't sound like that much in today's NFL.

Bronco defense preview [BroncoSports.com]
Strange to hear that the "D" will carry the team.

Predictions for the upcoming season [Bleacher Report]
BSU beating Fresno is good, losing to Oregon is bad.

SDSU radio man was runner-up for Peak job [Tube Talk]
Lee Hamilton sounds like a Civil War general.

Indisputable evidence that BSU rocks [Phil Steele]
Makes you feel proud to be a Bronco fan.

Going camping: Broncos in the NFL, Part I (AFC edition)

2008-07-17T13:15:00.000-06:00

NFL training camps kick off next week, and there are a good variety of former Boise State players dotting rosters across the country. Today, we'll take a look at the AFC. Tomorrow, we'll tackle the NFC. Saturday, we'll re-order the rosters in Madden 08 according to our personal biases. We have a lot of work to do.

T Ryan Clady, Denver Broncos
Other Denver Broncos tackles on the roster: Ryan Harris, PJ Alexander, Erik Pears, Tyler Polumbus
Camp starts: 7/24, Englewood CO
Link: Denver Post: contract negotiations could won't be done soon

Outlook: Clady should be a fixture in Denver for years, and he seems to already have the city wrapped around his finger. The only question will be when he signs his contract. Holding out for a bit probably won't cost him a starting spot, but it will be enough to elicit a Woody Paige column or two. "Kids these days have no respect for the game! Bllllaaaarrrrrgggghh!" You tell 'em, Woody!

T Dan Gore, Miami Dolphins
Other Miami Dolphins tackles: Vernon Carey, Jake Long, Daren Heerspink (Portland State rookie), Julius Wilson
Camp starts: 7/26, Davie FL
Link: Sun-Sentinel blog: Gore's versatility could increase his value

Outlook: Gore will be given every opportunity to make the team. Such is life in the post 1-15 era of the Miami Dolphins. If anything was a strength of the team last year, it might have been the offensive line, but that doesn't mean there is no room for Gore. The depth at tackle is rather shallow (Heerspink's a Portland State rookie, Wilson has big arms), so we're picking Gore to stick on the opening week roster.

TE Derek Schouman, Buffalo Bills
Other Buffalo Bills tight ends: Robert Royal, Courtney Anderson, Derek Fine (rookie), Tim Massaquoi
Camp starts: 7/25, Rochester NY
Link: BuffaloBills.com: Schouman and Trent Edwards have chemistry

Outlook: Schoumann played the dreaded H-back role last year, which is usually where tight ends go to die. However, he survived, and the Bills are willing to slide him back to a true tight end this season. He has NFL vets Royal and Anderson to contend with, as well as fourth round pick Fine, but potential injuries and the low ceilings of Royal and Anderson should be enough to keep Schoumann solidly into the #3 TE role.

CB/KR Chris Carr, Tennessee Titans
Other Tennessee Titans cornerbacks: Reynaldo Hill, Cortland Finnegan, Eric King, Nick Harper, Marquice Hill, Cary Williams, Shirdonya Mitchell
Camp starts: 7/25, Nashville TN
Link: Tennessean: Carr will answer kick return question

Outlook: Carr is the new Pac-Man Jones in Tennessee, sans Atari nickname. The kick return duties should be his (sorry, Chris Johnson; actually, no we're not). The real question mark will be where Carr fits in the Titans' secondary. Will he be content being a dime back the rest of his career? Will facing Vince Young in practice be better than facing Andrew Walter?

WR Legedu Naanee, San Diego Chargers
Other San Diego Chargers receivers: Chris Chambers, Eric Parker, Vincent Jackson, Buster Davis, Mark Jones, Kassim Osgood, Malcolm Floyd, Billy Pittman, Gary Banks, Marco Thomas
Camp starts: Sunday (rookies), 7/24 (veterans), San Diego CA
Link: Pro Football Weekly: back to wide receiver for Naanee

Outlook: Naanee received encouraging news this summer when he was switched from a TE/WR hybrid to a full-time wideout. And good for him; he has the ability to be a good pro receiver. However, the Chargers are pretty stacked at the position, so Naanee may be no better than a 3rd or 4th option. Of course, he can play so many positions on the team (WR, TE, QB, Phillip Rivers' wingman) that San Diego can't afford not to keep him around.

WR Drisan James, Oakland Raiders
Other Oakland Raiders receivers: Javon Walker, Ronald Curry, Drew Carter, Todd Watkins, Will Buchanon, Marcel Reece, Jonathan Holland, Johnnie Lee Higgins, Chris McFoy, Chaz Schilens, Arman Shields
Camp starts: 7/24, Napa Valley CA
Link: MVN: Raider WR competition will be fierce

Outlook: James has yet to make much noise in the league, but at least he is getting opportunities. The Raiders, though they signed Walker in the offseason, could always use a hard-working receiver, and James could certainly be that. Yet we get the feeling like he might be better off in the CFL or starting a garage band with Jared Zabransky. We guess there's no reason why he couldn't do both.

Thursday: Links with anonymity

2008-07-17T08:00:00.001-06:00

Story of the day:

More reasons to fear Southern Miss [NCAAFootball.com]

In addition to Southern Miss being big, athletic, and playing at home, Boise State will now have to contend with the Eagles being loaded. Conference USA has released its preseason polls and rankings, and Southern Miss is well represented to say the least.

Golden Eagle junior running back Damion Fletcher was chosen as the league’s preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Fletcher carried the ball 29 times for 155 yards in the Papajohns.com Bowl to finish last season with a single-season best 1,586 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Another Golden Eagle, reigning C-USA Defensive Player of the Year Gerald McRath, was picked as the preseason favorite to repeat as the conference’s top defensive player. He led C-USA in tackles with 139 (71 solo, 68 assist) in 2007 and averaged 10.7 per game.

Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year? Yikes, indeed. Is there any way we can get Weber State back on the schedule?

Other links:

Is Brian Murphy famous enough to interview? [Kellis Robinett]
Relative to Pocatello people, he is.

Budweiser to support Hawaii athletics [Honolulu Advertiser]
Coca-cola to support head coach Greg McMackin.

BSU's new South African walk-on [Fight Fight BSU]
He plays running back, receiver, and philanthropist.

Oregon to sell single-game tickets tomorrow night [GoDucks]
Fifty-four dollars per seat. Seeing the Broncos win in Autzen? Priceless.

Media interview: Don Day

2008-07-16T13:15:00.004-06:00

You would be hard-pressed to find a Treasure Valley media member who knows the Internet better than Don Day. His Idaho Radio News website is the #1 source for local radio information. He has transformed KTVB.com into the area's news leader. He was the inspiration behind Sandra Bullock's the Net. And now he's agreed to share some knowledge with us. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

OBNUG: Tell us a little bit about your background. Where did you grow up? Where did you go to school? How long have you been in the Treasure Valley?

Don: I grew up here in Boise, born and raised as they say. I went to a bunch of the "old" schools: Cole, Hillcrest, South and Borah. I spent about a year at NNU in Nampa and some time at Boise State.

In addition to maintaining Idaho Radio News, we see that you work at KTVB, producing content for television and the web. What all are you involved in with Channel 7? How did you get started with them and how long have you been with the company?

I began working at KTVB in 1999 as Internet News Producer. My role there has evolved and morphed over the years. I went on to produce News at Ten with Carolyn Holly and Mark Johnson, then left for a short stint at NorthWest Cable News in Seattle. I returned back to Boise and now I oversee our content and day-to-day operations for KTVB.COM and ZIdaho.com

What made you decide to start Idaho Radio News? Has radio always been a passion of yours and was it something you ever wanted to make a career out of?

I've always been interested in radio. My dad was the sales manager for KOT/J-105 back in the 1980s, and I've been around it my entire life. During high school, my dad was the host of a three hour blues show on (then) KFXJ/KF-95 on Sunday night. I hung out and bounced around the radio station, and even hosted a cheesy "blues news" segment with concert dates and the like. I interned at KZMG/Magic 93.1 and KCIX/Mix 106 with Steve Shannon and Stephanie Kelly and really enjoyed it. I swerved and moved into TV before getting a full-time job in radio. As much as the radio industry interests me, I think it has a tendency to be hard on people - especially on the content side. The pay isn't as high as it should be, and the number of jobs are few.

I decided to start the blog for two reasons. One, blogging was a new thing, and I wanted to wrap my head around it. Two, there was another site on Idaho radio - but it was written by a guy living in Salt Lake City and just wasn't as good as it could be. So I decided to give it a shot. I've been very close to quitting a few times, but after nearly five years, I don't know how I could NOT be involved.

What is your opinion on blogging and its place among traditional media both locally and nationally?

There are a lot of folks that say they are blogging, but aren't. First, you have to have comments turned on. Second, you've got to turn out at least as many posts as there are days in the month. You also need to be focused on a topic. There are some really fantastic traditional media blogs - Chuck Todd's First Read on MSNBC.com is great, Todd Bishop's Microsoft blog on SeattlePI.com is really good too. The Broncos blogs on IdahoPress.com are fantastic as well.

Other than that, I don't find a lot of outstanding media blogs. The blogs on the daily newspaper's site don't offer anything spectacular, and they aren't much to look at. There's no community there. And every topic seems to devolve into a weird fight about politics.

We at KTVB don't do much with blogging right now. Tom Scott's Scott Slant is sort of in that vein, but it's really more of a daily sports column. The way for a local media organization to look like they are "with it" is to create a blog I guess. But I just don't see the point. We're in the content business - and blogging is just a platform. Unless you're going to really do it well, what's the point? We serve the most pageviews each month, and it's because we are the best at all the things we chose to do.

What kind of response have you gotten from your website compared to the type of response you expected when you first started?

For IdahoRadioNews.com, I didn't expect anything. I didn't even think it would last long. Now the silly thing has been cited by the all the radio industry trade magazine, Idaho Business Review, Boise Weekly and channel 2. The Statesman's ripped me off several times (the Peak radio contract details being a particularly satisfying example) and it feels like the site is well-respected. I work really hard to take my training as a journalist and apply it to the site. The goal is to not let anything untrue slip by. I've been burned a time or two, but I hope that people feel like they are reading the definitive record of the local radio industry when they log on.

What are some of the challenges you have found from starting a blog in the Treasure Valley? Do you feel that this area of the country, since it is not as tech-savvy as places like Seattle, San Fran, etc., is a more difficult place to have a successful web entity?

I worked in Seattle and there are a heck of a lot of blogs up there. Our company runs CItizenRain.com, which indexes more than 500 blogs in the greater-Seattle area. In Boise, there are probably about 75 serious blogs. There are a select few sites that are doing something worthwhile. Boise Guardian does a nice job in an interesting niche, Eye on Boise covers politics like a blanket, Huckelberries Online out of the Spokesman-Review is really cool and the Boise Bus Blog of all things has a cool spin. Sites like OBNUG and Statue Left are right on point and fun to read when it comes to Broncos news and notes.

KTVB's web presence seems to be growing more and more every day. What are some of the web strategies that you, as a TV station, have been trying to implement? What place does blogging have on the site? And we'd be remiss not to ask: what kind of features will the site have come football season?

Our goal is to be the place to go for breaking news, weather, traffic and video. We dabble in a bunch of other areas like sports and events calendar, etc. - but it boils down to being the best at breaking news. No one breaks as many stories online as KTVB.COM, and I'm proud of that. We focus on getting to the point and not overwhelming people with boring junk all the time. Why wade through ten stories that don't matter to get to one you care about? We're also the single best place to get loal weather information. Nobody else combines our set of tools with the expertise of local folks with experience like we do. Sure, we get a lot of data from the National Weather Service - but we present it in a user-friendly way. Thousands of people log-on for the 7 Day Forecast each day, and when severe weather happens, we are often the only local website that even covers it.

With KTVB being the news leader in the valley, have you encountered any unique challenges or expectations for the station's coverage of events or its day-to-day operations?

It's tough. We're a big big orginization. You've heard us say "more Idahoans get their news from KTVB than any other source," and it's a responsibility. We have to make sure we are providing a balanced, complete report that covers our area. The Boise/Twin Falls market is huge - the second biggest geographic market area in the country. Just last week, on a single day we had reporters in McCall, Stanley, Twin Falls and Ontario. Unlike a newspaper, where a reporter can sit at a desk and make phone calls - we actually have to get people in front of a camera, so we cover more turf each day.

It extends to projects like HS GameTime's Friday Night Flights. On an average football Friday, we get to 16 games - covering 32 teams. It takes a team of 6 photographers, plus a producer, helicopter, a web producer and three anchors to sew it all together. The other guys can't do as much. So being big allows us to better serve the community. Not only do you see 30 seconds of the game on TV, but you get extra stuff online. Our HSGameTime.com site was BIG in 2007, and will explode in 2008. It is Idaho's first social network, and the amount of photos and videos uploaded was just astounding. We put several hundred photos from the website back on TV each week - and I'm very proud of the effort.

How do you think the local media does as a whole? Do you see things moving in any certain direction in the future and what kind of improvements can be made?

It is incredibly competitive. KTVB started putting news online in 1996, and we didn't have a single competitor until 2000. When I started, we were the only site doing news. Now I'm watching KBCI, the Statesman, Press Tribune and even non-traditional sites like NewWest - and yes - BroncoCountry.

We changed the rules in the market by deciding that we don't hold news. Ever. If we know about it, it goes online. Sure - we could try and string you out and make you wait for a newscast, but it doesn't work that way. We also don't just put stuff online at 10:01pm so we can pretend we put it online first. It goes up as soon as it is ready, because we are worried about serving the users FIRST, not serving our ratings or circulation. Our philosophy is that if you focus on being the best everywhere, you'll be the best anywhere.

Having worked with local media for awhile, how sad was it to see Paul J. go, and to see him go the way he did?

I don't mean to be coy, but I really can't comment. I covered the whole episode on IdahoRadioNews.com, and uncovered some things that really upset people. I wasn't trying to work an agenda, but rather find the truth.

What are your thoughts on the new Peak broadcasting team for Boise State games?

Peak has some smart people operating its stations. They also have experience, since most of them used to work at Citadel, so I think folks will appreciate the coverage. KBOI intends to still produce pre and post game shows, and competition will make them both better. Either way, the fans win.

What has been a highlight of yours (sports or otherwise) during your time at KTVB and IRN?

I know it'll sound like I'm just playing to the audience - but damn the Fiesta Bowl was incredible. I was working for KTVB, and sitting on the sideline with a laptop in my hand when the game ended. I've never experienced anything like it. I could blather on about it here, or you can just read what I wrote about it on IdahoRadioNews.com at the time (http://idahoradionews.com/index.php/2007/01/05/the-feeling/)

Boise State football seems to be the hottest ticket in town nowadays. Do you see this continuing? Do you see this changing if the team loses more games than usual? Where do you see the whole Bronco Nation phenomenon going from here?

Just before answering these questions, I walked over to look at the stadium expansion. It's incredible. Before the Fiesta Bowl, I pulled an old John Miller story about guys clearing snow at Bronco Stadium. Pokey Allen was hoping to get 20,000 fans into the stadium for a game. This was 1995. No corners. No Allen Noble. No Caven-Williams. No Stueckle Sky Club.

It feels like a less-than-stellar season is always possible, but the school has built such an incredible base that the momentum will be hard to stop.

Favorite radio station?
I'd never live it down if I answered that!
Favorite radio show?
Same deal.
Favorite TV show?
The Office
Favorite website?
That I'm not involved with in some way? TVNewser.com
Favorite book?
Freakonomics
Favorite sport?
Football
Favorite BSU memory?
My first game with my grandpa and dad in the 1980s.
Who is your choice for starting QB this year?
I think Justin Corr might have some eligibility left.

Wednesday: Links with determination

2008-07-16T08:00:00.000-06:00

Story of the day:

For Oregon fans, BSU a better draw than some Pac-10 teams [Arbiter Online]

No wonder tickets for the Boise State-Oregon game are in such demand. Duck fans would rather see the Broncos than several conference opponents. Sorry, Stanford.

"Frankly, the Boise State game has garnered the type of interest amongst our ticket holders and donors that is as great as some of our conference games and greater than some conference games," Mike Marlow, senior associate athletic director at the University of Oregon said. "It's been a ticket that has been in demand from our season ticket holders and donors as well."

We're curious to find out what demand is for the Utah State game (or if "demand" is even the right word).

Also in the Arbiter's story was news that the Boise State ticket lottery would be happening soon. However, they neglected to describe what kind of lottery it would be. Scratch tickets? Ping pong balls? Names out of a hat? Human tetris contest? College journalists have a lot to learn about asking the right questions.

Other links:

Brock Forsey to speak at local youth camp [Statesman]
OBNUG to crash local youth camp.

Nevada's terrifying schedule poster [Wizard of Odds]
The wolf eye follows you everywhere.

Ada County Vandal picnic on Saturday [Statesman]
Bring your lowered expectations. And a Jell-O salad.

Minor glitch in Boise State's NCAA 09 schedule [GameZone]
No more Idaho State at least.

Flash animation of BSU's new turf [Statesman]
That's one way to spend your resources.

Reggie Larry riding the pine in NBA summer league

2008-07-15T13:15:00.003-06:00

Reggie Larry's NBA career has gotten off to a rather tepid start.

The former Boise State standout is playing in Las Vegas with the Golden State Warriors' summer league team. Well, "playing" might be too strong of a word. The Warriors have played two games already, and Larry has seen exactly six minutes of court time in that span. His stats are understandably meager.

Reggie Larry: 1-2, 2 points, 0 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 blocked shot

All of those numbers came in Golden State's ~~first game Friday night~~second game Sunday against the Mavericks. Larry did not play ~~Sunday~~Friday against the Sixers.

There is still plenty of time for Larry to make an impact on the team, and with the Bobcats (tonight, 7:30pm), King, and Raptors still on the schedule, the competition certainly lends itself toward that end. However, getting an opportunity seems to be Larry's biggest obstacle.

Come on, Golden State. He's shooting 50% from the floor, and he's capable of doing this:

Tuesday: Links with procrastination

2008-07-15T08:00:00.002-06:00

Story of the day:

Dave Southorn's WAC picks [Dave's Blog]

The Idaho Press-Tribune's Dave Southorn has posted his preseason picks for WAC media days on his blog at the IPT website, and we could not be happier to see that homerism reigns supreme.

I don't see the Broncos losing a WAC game before they play Fresno State at the end of the season. By then, the new QB will be comfortable, and the Broncos get the Bulldogs at Bronco Stadium, so that's why their (sic) my pick to win the conference.

Good for you, Dave Southorn. There's no reason to pick the Bulldogs just because everyone else is, especially when they have yet to prove they can handle pressure or win outright WAC championships.

But the good BSU football vibes don't end there. In addition to having the Broncos as WAC champs, Southorn also has a Boise State player listed as his player of the year.

Offensive player of the year: Ian Johnson, RB, Boise State

I think it will be extremely unlikely he matches 2006's numbers, especially considering the great depth behind him. However, no other player in the conference demands a defense's full attention like IJ.

Kellen Moore must have been a close second.

Other links

Coach Pete to fly with the Blue Angels [Fight Fight BSU]
Robb Akey to ride a float at Dairy Days.

That stadium sure looks good at night [Statue Left]
But does it look $30 million good? Yeah, we think so.

BSU athletic website previews the offense [BroncoSports.com]
Talk about a conflict of interest.

WAC quarterbacks aren't all that bad [Bruce Feldman blog]
Take that, Sun Belt QBs!

Colt Brennan signs with Redskins [YB Sports]
And the state of Hawaii has the day off today.

Matt Nelson signs with Spanish team [Press-Tribune]
Donde esta la biblioteca, Pedro?

Bold predictions for Non-BCS schools [ESPN.com]
BSU losing at home is not bold; it is erroneous.

Virtual football kicks off tomorrow with NCAA 09

2008-07-14T13:15:00.001-06:00

Fall practice may still be three weeks away, but for many college football fans, the season begins tomorrow with the release of EA Sports' NCAA Football 09. And by "college football fans," we mean "geeky guys."

The release of NCAA has become an annual sign that the long, boring, football-less summer is almost over. Now, instead of playing out the Boise State season in our heads and with our M&M's, we can plug NCAA 09 into our PS3 and watch the whole thing unfold before us. (Full disclosure: we do not own a PlayStation 3. We own a Gamecube.)

For Bronco fans, the game may be a little less exciting than last year's Jared Zabransky version. Unfortunately, the Marty Tadman cover idea we submitted did not fly with EA Sports. However, there are still more than enough reasons to buy the game.

Kill time before August 30.
Have your own quarterback competition.
Take as many tries as you need to beat Oregon in Autzen stadium.
Prove that Fresno State is overrated.

There's a lot of information on the game available on the Internet (the entire Bronco playbook is here; eyes off, Akey!), and the early reviews have been excellent. Each year EA seems to improve from the previous version, and this year appears to be no different. Of course, what would an EA Sports video game be without loads of new features? NCAA 09 sure has plenty of upgrades.

Online Dynasty Mode. Up to 12 players can compete with one another online in dynasties that can last as long as 60 years. With features like this, who needs girlfriends? Til death do we part, NCAA 09.
Break Away Animation engine. Apparently, you will have more control than ever over the movements of the players. Want Ian Johnson to spin away from a tackle? Just rotate the control stick. Want Kellen Moore to sidestep a defensive end? Wiggle the analog to the left. Need to help a freshman with a midterm? Use the controller as a pen (feature available only on Wii).
Composure. Have you ever seen a quarterback lose confidence after an interception? Of course you have! Boise State plays in the WAC! Well, NCAA 09 will take advantage of this real-life phenomenon by testing the composure of in-game players. Throw a pick-six, and you'll have to read the defensive photos to see where you went wrong. If you can't figure it out, then you must be playing with Nathan Enderle.
Celebration mechanic. The Syracuse Orange wants to party! In NCAA 09, you can celebrate touchdowns with mascots, fans, or yourself with just a push of a button. Take that, NFL!
Realistic lighting. The graphics engine has been souped-up to provide a more accurate rendering of time-of-day. This will come in handy for those 9:00am San Jose State home games.
60 frames per second. We don't know what this means (see "Gamecube," above).

A new play-calling system, customizable music, and much more will be included in the game. But our favorite feature of the NCAA series, more so than the unique stadiums, the crowd influence, the rankings, and the option, is the fact that you can end the season with a playoff if you want to.

That is reason enough to buy the game right there.

NCAA Football 09 [EA Sports]

Monday: Links with body paint

2008-07-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

Story of the day:

WAC to renew TV deal with ESPN [Honolulu Advertiser]

After a couple fruitless summers of negotiations, it appears Karl Benson and the WAC finally have the deal they want from ESPN. The Honolulu Advertiser is reporting that the WAC will sign a new deal with ESPN that will increase the exposure of the league's teams and pay the conference royally for the right to do so.

The WAC had been receiving $900,000 per year on a six-year deal set to run through the 2009-10 academic year. That figure was down from $1 million after Texas-El Paso and three other schools left for Conference USA in 2005. The new agreement is expected to be worth, on average, approximately $4 million per year to the conference.

That's a 400 percent raise! Was Dwight Schrute involved in the negotiation talks for the WAC? The extra money is encouraging, and the extra exposure, especially for men's basketball, is exactly what the conference needs.

Under the current contract, the WAC (men's basketball) has been guaranteed only three games per season (two regular season games and the conference championship). The new deal is expected to more than triple the opportunities. In football, the WAC has been guaranteed a minimum of eight games, though it has averaged about 10 the last couple years. The new deal could double those opportunities.

Unfortunately, we are one step closer to Pam Ward covering Idaho-Utah State football.

Good for the WAC and good for Karl Benson. This TV contract is unlike any other that a small conference has. Rather than create their own station (Mountain West Conference) or toil in anonymity (Sun Belt, MAC), the WAC has found the kind of exposure and national spotlight that most conferences covet. Now if only Benson could fix the WAC competition, he'd be onto something.

Other links:

Notes from the highly entertaining BSU charity softball game [Fight Fight BSU]
We're curious what Raphiel Lambert ordered at the concession stand.

Bush Hamdan ranked 47th best fantasy quarterback [Fantasy College Football]
Points awarded for not talking to the media.

Bruce Feldman likes Boise State's recruiting taste [ESPN.com]
Southwick and Peterson are keepers; Burks may or may not still exist.

Another pick for BSU in the H-Bowl [Saturday Soundoffs]
What would make them think the Oregon game is unwinnable? Past precedent?

Checking in with some incoming BSU football recruits [Statesman]
Bigger, faster, stronger, and less Guitar Hero.

Phil Dailey gives a vote of confidence to Behler [Press-Tribune]
The same vote cast for Hamdan or a different one?

BSU recruiting: where are all the linemen?

2008-07-11T13:15:00.000-06:00

The Boise State recruiting tally looks like this: a quarterback, a running back, two tight ends, two linebackers, two cornerbacks, one wide receiver...and zero offensive or defensive linemen. Strange, don't you think?

The Broncos have been the most proactive team in the WAC this summer, but they have yet to reel in a linemen on either side of the ball. Is this the curse of Ryan Clady leaving early? Is the WAC transitioning into a seven-on-seven conference? Whatever the case may be, the whole situation is making us very curious.

But perhaps we should clarify. Despite the lack of linemen, we could not be happier to have nine verbal commitments in mid-July. This kind of activity is something you normally expect from a BCS-conference school, so it is great to know that the Broncos have such an outstanding reputation in recruiting pockets around the country. Plus, Boise State is really separating itself from the rest of the WAC as a premier destination for football, and with early recruits becoming more and more the norm, the Broncos are at the forefront of the future of recruiting. Taste the revolution, Fresno State!

That said, we would still like to see some linemen.

In our opinion, the line is the most important position on the football field, so we would figure that it would be a focal point of Bronco recruiting classes. We imagine that when all is said and done, there will be plenty of hefty high school kids in the '09 class. But in the meantime, we are left to wonder why no big kids have come out and declared their BSU allegiance yet. Are they riding go carts at Camp Hope or what?

Here are some theories we have on the situation.

Linemen are harder to recruit.
This could be true for a number of reasons: No one knows how big 17-year-old kids will get. The potential of linemen is harder to judge at an early age. There is not as much game tape available on linemen as there is for other positions. There hit-or-miss probability with a lineman is extremely high.
Boise State coaches are looking for JC transfers. Certainly, having two years in college under their belt would give any lineman an advantage. Plus, the coaches would be more aware of what to expect when the kids arrive on campus.
Linemen aren't born; they're created. Perhaps BSU is not in a hurry because they know they can grow their own linemen whenever necessary. Bronco coaches are notorious for molding players into outstanding linemen.
The line is young enough as it is. If this year's young class of linemen pan out, the Broncos will be set for at least a couple more years. Maybe the next recruiting class will be the windfall of big uglies we've been expecting.
The line isn't as important in the WAC. To be successful in the WAC, you have to score points and create turnovers. Linemen are not prominently involved in either.
The more you weigh, the less decisive you are. We have no evidence of this theory other than Jared Lorenzen's NFL career.

On an encouraging note, Scout.com has a list of linemen who are at least interested in the Broncos. Here some of the top guys:

OT Charles Siddoway: 6'7", 310 pounds (offered)
DE Jackson Powell: 6'5", 220 pounds
OT Gavin Pascerella: 6'5", 260 pounds

The list also includes some junior college players and other big high schoolers, so at least the Broncos are trying. And the fact that we are concerned over a lack of linemen in a recruiting class that still has seven months to fill out and which has absolutely no bearing on anything that will happen on the football field this year, well, it's probably a bit presumptive of us. As always, the Bronco coaches know what they're doing, so we really needn't worry.

Our anxiety would be better spent on the "Q."

Friday: Links with kitties

2008-07-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

Story of the day:

More recruits! How 'bout that! [Press-Tribune]

The Broncos have reeled in recruit number nine. QB/LB Gabe Linehan from Banks High School (Oregon) has given his verbal commitment to the Broncos. Does his name sound familiar? It should. His uncle is Rams head coach and former Idaho quarterback Scott Linehan, and his father was an All-Big Sky linebacker at Idaho.

Despite the fact that the Broncos' roster is already replete with quarterbacks and linebackers, Linehan was still happy to commit early. Of course, he won't be a QB/LB for long.

He said Bronco coaches want him to play tight end once he arrives in Boise, though he is the quarterback at Banks.

Currently, Linehan is 6'4" and 205 pounds, so he will need to put on some weight to be effective at the tight end position. Fortunately, Linehan has two 300-pound brothers who have played line for Pac-10 schools, so his mom should know how to feed him.

Here is some extra reading on Linehan:

Idaho Statesman

Scout.com

Fight Fight BSU

Other links:

Taylor Tharp cut by Panthers [Statesman]
Our immediate reaction: Tharp was still on the Panthers?

New turf is nearly complete [Statesman]
Next up? New Boise State inflatable helmet for team intro!

Coaches association discussing changes for recruiting [Birmingham News]
An early signing period would be nice right about now

BSU football is best sporting event in Treasure Valley [Statesman]
The Idaho Steeleheads will forever be bridesmaids.

Rather comprehensive WAC preview [Southern college sports]
We stopped reading after it said Boise State was rebuilding.

Highlighting the skinny BSU offensive linemen [Scott Slant]
Thirty pounds lighter than last year, but the heavier expectations should balance that out.

Yep, Oregon is still good [Rivals.com]
And we're still scared of going to Eugene.

College football countdown...catch the IPT fever!

2008-07-10T15:00:00.000-06:00

The Idaho Press-Tribune's Phil Dailey and Dave Southorn have embarked upon the daunting task of ranking all 120 Division 1-A teams before the season starts and, in so doing, have discovered the most awesome form of busy-work ever. How serious are they about the task? Serious enough to give the countdown its own personal website.

The countdown, which began with Western Kentucky and will hopefully end with Boise State, is already into the 90's, which typically means that half of the WAC would be mentioned by now. And sure enough, Utah State, Idaho, San Jose State, and NMSU have already been highlighted...or low-lighted, as it were. Here are some kind words the IPT guys had to say about the University of Idaho:

The season is a success if ... The team wins more than three games.

We thought #112 was a little high for the Vandals.

With nearly 100 more teams to go, there is still a lot of intrigue left in the countdown. For instance, will Phil Dailey's love for Louisiana Tech propel the Bulldogs ahead of Nevada where they probably do not belong? Is there any way that Dave Southorn does not vote Colorado #1? How does William Love fit into all of this? Are the IPT rankings part of the BCS formula? Will a conflict of interest prevent them from voting for Boise State? Is this whole thing an excuse to write off Southorn's preview magazine purchases at Barnes & Noble?

And most importantly, what will happen to the College Football Countdown once there is no college football left to count down? We're just praying that the Women's College Basketball Countdown is not in the works.

College Football Countdown [Press-Tribune]

OBNUG Hall of Fame: Ian Johnson inducted

2008-07-10T13:15:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to Ian Johnson and his Oregon State TD extravaganza for gaining induction into the OBNUG Hall of Fame. His performance earned 91 percent of the vote, which was well over the 70 percent needed to get in. Thanks again to Drew from Fight Fight BSU for stating his case so eloquently.

Johnson's induction signals the end of the first year of the OBNUG Hall of Fame. Thank you to all who contributed nominees, wrote stories, and voted in the polls. We're looking forward to doing this again next year, so keep in mind any candidates you feel deserve to be in the HOF and feel free to let us know.

Here is the inaugural class of the OBNUG Hall of Fame:

Marty Tadman's Fiesta Bowl
Ryan Dinwiddie's three quarters versus Fresno State
The 1980 Division I-AA championship game
The day Boise State moved up to Division 1-A
The three plays to win the Fiesta Bowl: hook-and-ladder, Perretta TD toss, and Statue of Liberty
Ian Johnson's Oregon State romp

The shrine in our master bedroom's armoire does not do these moments justice.

Thursday: Links with religion

2008-07-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

Story of the day:

Peak redeems itself with Jadon Dailey [Statesman]

With the hiring of former BSU center Jadon Dailey as the new color commentator for Bronco football games, Peak Broadcasting has done something that has thus far eluded them: appear competent. If the reaction to Dailey's hiring is any indication, then Bronco fans are feeling pretty good about life after Paul J.--at least as good as they could feel.

Bob Behler's already a fan.

Behler, who said he has worked with many first-timers in the booth, was impressed with Dailey's intelligence and enthusiasm. "He's going to add a lot in stories and knowledge," Behler said. "He's going to help me a heck of a lot, knowing personnel, history and coaches. He's going to bring a lot to the table."

Will Dailey's lack of experience be an issue? Not with Behler, the father of modern radio, in the booth! Besides, if things get bad, Peak can always just play snippets of Dailey's Out of the Blue commentary in between Behler's live-action play-by-play calls. Don't think anyone would mind that.

Other links:

New recruit Mooney not taking other campus visits after all [Press-Tribune]
Guess he was okay missing out on all the fun times at Army.

Bush Hamdan is a better man than you are [Scott Slant]
Thanks to Tom Scott we suddenly feel much less charitable for giving that homeless guy a dollar.

Boise State season preview [Don Best]
Always trust a man with a mustache...except for Robb Akey.

Cocaine hoax fuels Big XII rivalry [SI.com]
We anxiously await the Idaho "pirated Norbit DVD" hoax.

NCAA officiating test will rock you hard

2008-07-09T15:00:00.002-06:00

God bless those NCAA officials.

Thanks to CBS Sportsline's Dennis Dodd, we found out about a test for football referees that was equal parts humiliating and impossible. The 100-question beast of an exam is designed to test officials on the minutiae of the NCAA rulebook, but all it really does is emasculate and discourage. Try it for yourself at USAFootball.com or better yet, don't and save yourself two hours and a migraine. Here is a taste of the carnage:

40. 4th & 10 on A's 20. The score is tied. Team A's punt is illegally touched by a Team A player on B's 42, then picked up on B's 39 by a Team B player who runs five yards and fumbles. Team A recovers and picks up the fumble dragging a defender to Team B's goal line between the hash marks. The covering official signals a touchdown. During Team A's run, a Team B player has an incidental facemask in making the tackle. 4-seconds remain in the 4th quarter. Replay shows the Team A runner was downed on B's 1/2. Team B is coming out of the huddle to snap the ball on B's 42. Clock? Reviewable?

A. A 1/goal B-1/4. The clock starts on the snap. The play is reviewable.
B. A 1/goal B-1/2. The clock starts on the snap. The play is reviewable.
C. B 1/10 @ B42. The incidental facemask is not a foul.

We had to break out the graphing calculator for that one!

Of course, we should probably just be proud that we finished. Odds were good that we would have given up halfway between clock rules on illegal forward passes and penalty yardage on inadvertent whistle facemasks. But we made it through. And we didn't completely embarrass ourselves.

OBNUG's score: 57.

While it's true that getting 57 out of 100 is failing no matter which way you slice it, we were pretty proud of ourselves considering we did better than some of the big hitters in the college football media.

Nothing like some relativity to spruce up a score.

We're curious to see how you, our readers, would do on the test (and we want someone to commiserate with). You can take the test online by clicking here, or you can download the pdf here. Good luck. And don't say we didn't warn you.

NCAA Football test [USA Football]

Jadon Dailey your new Bronco color commentator

2008-07-09T13:15:00.000-06:00

Former Boise State center Jadon Dailey will be joining Bob Behler in the KIDO booth this fall.

Idaho Radio News has the scoop:

“The addition of Jadon to our broadcast team will add an insight unique to the Broncos,” Peak Broadcasting’s SVP Kevin Godwin said in a prepared statement. “His recent experience with this team will provide listeners with a vivid description of all the action from start to finish.”

Dailey was excellent on the Out of the Blue documentary, and he should bring a lot of fun to the radio broadcasts. Congratulations, Jadon.

We wonder if the Statesman will ask him if he saw the Fiesta Bowl?

Dailey named new color guy for BSU games [Idaho Radio News]